


Hidden

by protector_of_the_pharaoh



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Past Pain, Religious Conflict, SO MUCH SARCASM, Sarcasm, slight canon divergance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2019-06-20 10:06:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 44,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15531912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/protector_of_the_pharaoh/pseuds/protector_of_the_pharaoh
Summary: All Hunters have a past and carry their own secrets, right? Well, what happens when the secret hidden is even deeper than the owner was anticipating?





	1. Chapter I

Chapter One:

It hurt.

It was a sharp pain in Sam Winchester’s chest as he stood on that street corner, eyes frantic for the truck he was looking for. He paused putting a hand on one of the large gashes across his chest trying to gage the wound quickly, before forcing himself into movement again. He knew if he stayed still for too long it would catch up to him. 

His legs burned and the pain in his chest was rapidly building the longer it took to get to the truck. He then tripped tumbling down onto the sidewalk landing flat on his face with a little broken cry. He could hear it still chasing behind him which prompted him back up and into a flat out run, knowing he had to reach her.

Just a little further; he spotted the old red truck he was looking for parked just ahead under a street lamp. 

She would help him.

~*~

Ava sighed looking around the neighborhood she had found to stay in for the evening before shutting off her truck and flicking off the lights. It was a quiet here and she doubted anyone would notice a lone truck parked along the street for the night, as long as she didn’t bring any unneeded attention to herself.

Ava turned her attention then, to eating a little food before trying to get a few hours of sleep before she hit the road again. She smiled slightly looking at the can of coke and peanut bar beside her that had been gifted to her so she wouldn’t starve from who she might call a friend. 

Sam Winchester, the golden hearted boy she’d met nearly a week ago reading at one of the parks she had found here in this little town. He hadn’t judged the worn-out clothing she wore and offered her half of the sandwich he had when he probably noticed she looked a little thinner than most kids their age. He hadn’t even flinched when he noticed the gun she had hidden tucked into the back of her jeans just went on talking like it was nothing.

The two had quickly found they had a lot in common and when she had managed to read the spine of the book he was reading, she had tentatively asked what his thoughts were on the supernatural.

She had then found out that Sam’s brother, someone named Dean and his father, someone named John were both hunters, just like her friend Logan had been. Sam had then confided that the only reason they were in this little town was because John had tracked a Banshee here and was in the process of trying to end a month long hunt. 

Ava was shaken from her thoughts when she thought she’d heard something abnormal outside of the truck. She hesitated before reaching behind her slowly and pulled her pistol out of her jeans.

She relaxed after a few moments not hearing anything more lowering her pistol and dropping her shoulders a little. Just as Ava had reached over to set her pistol down next to her to keep it within reach, there was a loud smacking sound of a bloody hand hitting the passenger side window. Ava jumped, the pistol in her hand immediately back up and aimed at the door as she looked around to see what was going on.

“Sam?” Ava questioned confused as the lanky form of her friend climbed into the passenger side seat beside her. “Sam! What the hell?”

“Banshee!” Sam barked at her and Ava lowered the pistol slightly still confused. “Drive!”

“What the--?” Ava jerked around when she heard the unmistakable scream of a banshee and turned to see it standing in front of her truck. “Fuck!”

Ava instantly started the truck up and slammed her foot into the gas pedal shifting up and hitting the creature with a heavy thunk. She then shifted on up getting the two away from the body of the creature.

Once far enough away Ava pulled the truck over to the side of the road and turned her attention to Sam. He was slumped against the passenger-side door unconscious, bleeding pretty heavily, from what looked like three very large gashes across his chest. There was also a cut on his forehead and his jeans were ripped at the knees.

“Shit,” Ava muttered upon seeing Sam unconscious.

Reaching into her boot Ava pulled out a knife and moved to where she could cut Sam’s shirt off him to look at the gashes properly. They were pretty deep, but it they looked clean which relieved some of Ava’s worry.

“You know, he’s gonna die if you don’t heal him.” A voice came from behind Ava and she flinched hearing it.

“Not now, Lucifer.” Ava barked tense turning back to look at the image of the fallen angel sitting behind her amused grin on his face. “Really not now.”

“You know I’m right,” Lucifer said crossing his arms trying to hide his entertainment of Ava’s predicament. “Either you actually use the gifts you have or you risk the chance of him bleeding to death in your truck. Would you do that to your _friend_ , Ava?”

“Shut up.” Ava barked throwing an arm through the image and it vanished with a little wisp of smoke before she climbed out of the truck. She then headed around to jump in the bed to get to her tool box that hid her medical supplies.

“Oh, c’mon Ava.” Lucifer was now sitting on the side of the truck bed watching her pull out the first aid kit. “What good are gifts if you never use them? I mean really? And I was so generous with them too.”

“Gifts?” Ava questioned with a snort. “Not gifts, more like curses.”

Ava continued on with her objective after that muttered sentence ignoring Lucifer who frowned and disappeared again. Ava climbed back into the truck turning her full focus to Sam and trying to stop his bleeding as soon as she could.

“Gonna try to stitch the poor thing up?” Lucifer’s voice was just in her ear as she felt the slight weight of his presence against her back. “Why spend all that effort when you know all you have to do is-” she felt a feather soft touch across her forehead where she knew he’d just brushed his fingers across. “And tada he’ll be all better! I’ll even help you!” Lucifer’s voice was louder this time as Ava winced and shook her head to try and fight him off. “It’s the same thing you should have done for Logan. If you had, maybe you wouldn’t be all alone in this big ol’ world.”

“Shut up, Lucifer!” Ava barked looking back at him this time. “Logan’s death was not my fault!”

“If I had known you would be this stubborn, I would have never even bothered with saving you from them.” Lucifer sulked behind Ava who let out a deep breath of frustration before turning her attention back to Sam.

“Yeah, but then I would be dead and maybe at peace, not someone who had the devil as a constant invisible companion and in chaos.” Ava muttered ignoring the memory he had brought up. “Besides who then would you torment, Lucifer?”

“Such a noble soul to save someone else from my wrath, aren’t you?”

“I do try.” Ava said dryly before turning her full attention to Sam.

His breathing was shallow and his lips had a blue tinge to them. Reaching up she brushed her fingers across his forehead to try and feel his body temperature. It had dropped enormously and she knew just stitching the teen up at this point wouldn’t save him.

She took a deep breath, pulling her hand back and fisted both hands up, balling them to lay on her thighs where she sat beside Sam legs curled underneath her. She knew Lucifer felt the change because she felt his presence against her back again and a little tickle of breath on her ear as he leaned in close.

“C’mon Baby Doll, give in.” Lucifer whispered deep and honey sweet in her ear. She flinched trying to move her head away from him. She then felt a feather light touch on the back of one of her balled up fist. “You know if you don’t help him now, he’s going to die here with you, just as Logan did in your arms only two months ago. You didn’t help him, are you going to do the same thing to Sam?”

“Just shut up and help me help him.” Ava snapped finally and she heard the small laugh in her ear.

“Of course, Baby Doll.” Lucifer agreed with a hiss to his voice.

Ava felt a tingle in her right hand before she picked it up and placed it against Sam’s now cold forehead. There was a little blue flash and warmth suddenly shot through Ava and down through her arm and out of her fingertips. Sam’s forehead under her hand became warmer and she watched as the gashes on his chest began to heal themselves up.

Sam then arched up away from the door and took a deep breath before leaning forward and coughing and reaching a hand around to his chest. Ava jerked backward putting her hands behind her to catch herself and instantly felt the presence of Lucifer disappear from her back, as Sam looked up at her with wide shocked hazel eyes.

“You okay?” Ava questioned tightly her face slightly pale.

Sam’s hand flexed on his chest where he knew there had been gashes only to find slightly pink healed skin. He looked at it for a second before he moved and just looked at her shock still covering his face.

“I’m…I’m fine…” Sam said after a second. “I…I had gashes on my chest… and now-”

“You honestly don’t want to know the answer to the question you’re fixing to ask.” Ava said weakly looking quite pale under Sam’s questioning gaze. 

Ava then shifted and kicked her feet out in front of her to put space between them. She didn’t look at Sam afraid of what she might see.

“Ha, this is where you lose the next friend of yours Ava!” Lucifer’s voice came back and she glanced sideways to see him sitting in the space between she and Sam.

“Ava.” Sam reached over for her and inadvertently put his hand through Lucifer, causing him to disappear. “I won’t ask if you don’t want me to…but thank you, for saving my life.”

Ava blinked and just looked at Sam confused slightly. She heard a groan from just outside of the still open driver’s door where Lucifer now stood and stomped his foot at this.

“No!” Lucifer grumbled. “He is not supposed to be this calm!!”

“You’re welcome?” Ava questioned obviously confused ignoring Lucifer.

Sam opened his mouth to say something else but he was interrupted by a phone ringing loudly from his jean pocket. He paused for a second before shifting to pull said phone out and answering it.

“Hey Bobby.” Sam answered casting a little glance at Ava as she tilted her head recognizing the name. “No, no I’m okay, um my friend Ava helped me out.” Sam paused and then winced as Bobby’s voice obviously raised on the other end of the phone. “Buckley?” Sam mouthed at Ava and she nodded.

“That was Logan’s last name.” Ava explained quietly. “I used it sometimes.”

“Um yeah, Ava Buckley,” Sam said cautiously. He then pulled the phone away from his ear and held it out to Ava. “Um he wants to talk to you,”

Ava hesitated unsure for just a moment before reaching out and taking the phone from Sam and speaking to the man waiting on the other end of the line.

“This is Ava,”

“Where the _hell_ have you been young lady!” Ava winced recognizing the voice of Logan’s friend Bobby Singer anywhere. “I have been looking for you for two months! You had best have you and Sam on my doorstep in an hour or I’m coming to get you myself!”

“I…okay….” Ava agreed after a second looking even more confused. “We’re on our way.”

“Good,” the gruff voice lowered slightly. “I’ll see you in an hour."

“Okay,” Ava said and then hung up the phone before handing it to Sam who was watching her a little smile on his face. “I don’t understand why he was so upset….”

“He’s worried.” Sam said relaxing back into his seat.

“But why?” Ava questioned before glaring at Lucifer and pulling her driver’s side door closed.

“It’s what people do when they care about you.” Sam said as though stating the obvious, but then saw the real confusion on Ava’s face as she started the truck up and pulled back onto the highway. “Ava, you really have never had anyone care enough to worry about you?”

“I…um no not really...” Ava admitted after a second or two trying to figure out what to say to Sam’s question. “My mother abandoned me after well...” Ava hedged on finishing her sentence and she heard Lucifer’s laugh. “after something happened that she chose not to face, and I never actually knew my father.”

“What about Logan?” Sam questioned after a second sitting up and looking genuinely almost concerned.

“Logan and I were hunting partners.” Ava said with a shrug as though it wasn’t that big of a deal when Sam’s jaw dropped. “I guess you could say we were friends? I think it was mainly he took pity on me and so he let me tag along with him.” Sam just looked at her for a few minutes as she continued to drive down the highway. “What?”

“You’ve never had a family?” Sam questioned in pure shock. “You did everything on your own? You’re only fifteen!”

Ava paused and pursed her lips for a second then smiled quite coldly before speaking: “Sam, the answer here is really complicated and right now I’d really not care to discuss it, okay?”

“I…um… Okay…” Sam conceded after a moment or two. “Ava, it’s just, Bobby’s worried because he cares about you. It’s just what you do when you know someone is alone that you care about.”

Sam was quiet then watching the road ahead of them. Ava didn’t say anything to interrupt his thought pattern but instead concentrated on trying to remember how to get to Bobby’s since she had only truly been there a few times.

“Turn left just ahead.” Sam said after a little while and while it shocked Ava after the silence of nearly 30 minutes she slowed down to make the turn Sam spoke of.

It was only a few minutes more before Ava stopped in front of an older house with a tow truck sitting outside and a couple of dogs laying on the porch. She hesitated as Sam opened the passenger side door to climb out and a porch light flicked on before a burly man in a ball cap that Ava knew to be Bobby Singer stepped out onto the porch.

“Hi Bobby,” Sam greeted the other man and then turned back when he noticed Ava hadn’t gotten out beside him. “You coming, Ava?”

“Yes, are you Ava?” Lucifer’s voice sounded from beside her and she took a deep breath, shaking her head to clear it of Lucifer’s voice and climbing out of the truck.

“Hey Bobby, how’re you?” Ava questioned once flat on the ground and shutting her truck door behind her.

“C’mon you two, dinner’s on the stove.” Bobby said gruffly looking them over and then waving at them to come inside.

Sam followed Bobby’s invite easily and walked inside but Ava hesitated beside her truck still slightly unsure what was happening. Bobby noticed this but didn’t say anything turning and heading inside leaving the door open for her.

After a moment or two Ava let out a deep breath and headed on inside after the other two tucking her truck keys into her pocket.

She quietly closed the door behind her before following Sam’s voice into Bobby’s kitchen where he was sitting at the table. Bobby looked at her for a second probably noticing her hesitation standing in the doorway before he held out a plate for her to take.

“Thank you.” Ava said after a second stepping forward and taking the plate from him.

Ava didn’t say much else as she sat at the table beside Sam and listened to the other teen talk, thankful that he didn’t bring up the Banshee incident to the other man. Bobby listened to Sam talk idly while they ate and she relaxed slightly. Noticing this Bobby smiled a little and she hesitantly returned it before taking a bite of the fish on her plate.

“Aw, how cute is this?” Lucifer’s voice broke Ava’s small concentration on Sam and she flinched. “Do you truly think he cares about you being here?”

“Ava, you alright?” Bobby’s voice distracted her from Lucifer and she blinked looking back over at him.

Ava opened her mouth to answer him but before she did Lucifer spoke again: “Silly little one, the old man doesn’t give a damn if you’re here or not. He just feels obligated to help you since you let Logan die.”

“I should go,” Ava said after a second standing up looking at little pale. “Thanks for the food Bobby.”

Ava turned and walked back out of the kitchen with a quick step and another flinch as she heard Lucifer laugh following her. She didn’t even hear the scrape of Bobby’s chair on the floor or his shout of her name as she almost bolted out the door.

With her haste to get out she hadn’t noticed the other man who had been just about to knock on Bobby’s door and almost knocked them both off their feet.

“Whoa there!” the man said and Ava looked up to see who it was that had caught her.

First thing she noticed were the brightest, greenest eyes she had _ever_ seen before. It caused her to pause almost shocked before the smell of leather and gunpowder hit her nose, and she flinched back away from him. That was how Logan used to smell too, and then she felt the guilt of Logan dying all over again.

The man let her go seeming confused as to what exactly was going on before Ava turned and walked towards her truck quickly pulling out her keys and climbing inside before Bobby made it to the porch.

“That’s the way Doll, run.” Lucifer taunted her as he sat next to her when she started up the truck and quickly reversed away from the house. “Run like you always do. Besides they wouldn’t want you around once they found out what you are.”

“Shut up, Lucifer.” Ava said sharply turning her attention to heading back out onto the highway. “Just please, shut up.”

Lucifer laughed but didn’t say anything else while Ava drove and she hoped he would just disappear and leave her be maybe just this once.

In her pocket, Ava felt her phone start to ring and pulling it out she glanced to see it was the number Sam had given her to reach him. She tossed it into the seat beside her refusing to answer it and just shifted up a gear more as she finally hit the highway again.

“So where are we headed now, Doll?” Lucifer questioned from beside her and she just sighed her shoulders dropping in defeat.

After a few more moments, Ava pulled the truck over to the side of the road and got out slamming the door behind her leaving the image of Lucifer sitting in the seat. There was only a moment of hesitation before the man was sitting on the front of Ava’s truck where she stood hands over her face.

“Please, can you just leave me be?” Ava questioned removing her hands and looking at him where he sat. “Just for a few moments,”

“You know the answer to that.” Lucifer stated looking at his nails seeming to be bored.

“Why me?” Ava questioned her voice cracking. She felt so close to the edge of her sanity at that moment. “Why did you not just let him kill me? I would have been so much better off!”

“That’s not a positive outlook.”

Ava jerked around quickly pulling her pistol and aiming for who was speaking to her shocked that she hadn’t heard his car pull up behind them.

“Who the hell are you?” Ava questioned aggressively.

“Dean,” the man supplied after a second, hands in his leather coat pockets.

“And you’re here why?”

“Sam’s worried about you.”

“You’re his older brother.” Ava said after a second recognizing the name. She then noticed Lucifer flickering on the hood of her car as she spoke to him.

“Yep.” Dean confirmed before nodding to her gun. “Mind putting that away? As sexy as a woman who knows how to shoot is I’d rather not be the one being shot.”

Ava lowered the pistol just looking at him as though trying to figure him out. “You know it’s not smart to hit on a crazy lady.”

“Never said I was smart.” Dean said with a shrug. “So who were you talking to?”

Ava hesitated with a small glance at Lucifer who had a massive scowl on his face aimed in Dean’s direction. She then shifted turning her attention back to Dean who she noticed had followed her gaze to the truck hood.

“You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Ava said after a second.

“Try me.”

Ava just looked at him slightly confused before she shrugged shaking her head. “Doesn’t matter, I need to be going. Tell Sam I’m fine and thanks for the concern.”

“You could just come back with me to Bobby’s and tell him yourself.” Dean said pulling his hands from his pockets and crossing them over his chest.

“That’s not a good idea.” Ava shook her head again. “It’s best for everyone if I just disappear, safer that way trust me.”

“I don’t think Sam would agree with that.” Dean said gruffly. “Or Bobby for that matter, who’s spent two months looking for you."

“Yeah well, not asking for Sam’s opinion on this.” Ava said after a second. “Or Bobby’s.”

“That’s pretty damn selfish, don’t you think?”

“Who are you to judge?” Ava bit back out at him defensive. “You don’t even know me! None of you do, all this is, is pity. The only reason you’re even here is because your little brother pities me.”

“Wow.” Dean said taking a step closer to her and she took a half-step backward. “And I thought Sam could be a brat sometimes.”

“Look, Dean,” Ava said after a second deciding to stand her ground. “The only thing that happens to people who care about me or I care about end up dead, so you can think I’m being bratty all you want, when in reality I’m trying to protect your brother from far worse.”

“That’s the way, Doll,” Lucifer’s voice was finally back. “Push them away to save them from you. So much smarter than you were with Logan.”

Ava flinched again and Dean noticed it, his gaze flicking to the hood of her truck as though maybe he could see Lucifer sitting there before turning back to Ava.

“Whoever it is that’s talking to you is full of shit.” Dean said and Ava pursed her lips.

“I got Logan killed,” Ava said after a second. “His blood is on my hands; his death was completely my fault because he cared for me and I’ll be damned if I do the same to Sam or Bobby."

“So, you’re just gonna run?”

“Yes Dean, I’m just gonna run.” Ava said before angrily whipping at her eyes where they had welled up some. “Seems to be the only thing I’m any good at,”

“Maybe if you’d pull your head out of your ass, you’d see we were trying to help you.” Dean snapped back seeming to be at the end of his temper.

“Out of nothing more than an obligation!” Ava bit back at him. “You because Sam ask you to and Bobby because Logan probably made him promise to take care of me,”

“Are you ever going to let that silly idea go?” Dean’s voice overpowered hers easily. “You really think I would even be here if I didn’t want to be?”

“He’s a good liar isn’t he?” Lucifer broke in and Ava balled her hands up into fist.

“Why then Dean?” Ava said just a fiercely as Dean. “Tell me why I should believe that? Why I should believe you are here just because you want to be?”

“Maybe because I’ve just got a soft spot for crazy pretty women.” Dean shrugged hands in his pockets again.

At that statement, Ava just looked at him all of her anger and fight suddenly just leaving her and then she laughed a little. It was a little chuckle before it turned into an almost hysterical sounding laughter and her tears this time fell without her stopping them.

“I don’t even know what to say to that.” Ava said after a second and reached up to wipe her tears away only to have her hands moved and the tears brushed away for her.

“The hysterics kinda spoke for you, Angel.” Dean said with a little laugh as she brushed his hands away.

“Far from an Angel though aren’t you?” Lucifer spoke but this time Ava ignored him completely.

“Sorry,” Ava said shaking her head but not moving when she noticed how close Dean had moved to her. “Um well you can head back to Bobby’s and I’ll be there in the morning. I just, don’t know if I can face him or Sam tonight.”

“Where’re you gonna sleep?” Dean questioned before glancing over at the truck Ava nodded towards.

“If I sleep.” Ava said after a second.

“Na, you can stay in the Impala with me.” Dean said looking back at her. “More room, I know for a fact that Sam can sleep well enough in the back seat. So can you.”

“I can-” Ava protested before Dean cut her off.

“Humor me then. You and I both know I’m not going back to Bobby’s without you in tow or Sam will be pissed.”

“Fine,” Ava agreed after a second. “but you’re bigger than me so you sleep in the back, I’ll sleep in the front.”

Dean paused contemplating her for a minute or two, before he nodded in agreement and she relented to follow behind him with one last glare at Lucifer who was still sitting on her truck hood.

About twenty minutes later, the two had gotten settled and Dean’s slight snores filled the cabin as he fell asleep easily, probably exhausted from hunting with his Dad, but the sound didn’t bother Ava. In fact, it seemed to relax her seeing as it was so similar to the sound of what Logan’s snores had been.

Just as she had been on the verge of sleep she felt a soft touch on her ankle and heard a familiar chuckle as she jerked away.

“So nice of him to let you stay with him seeing as he came across you yelling at something he can’t see, isn’t it?” Lucifer’s voice easily filled the cabin. “Taking pity on the crazy woman,”

Ava shifted attempting to ignore Lucifer and trying to find a comfortable spot to sleep and after finally finding one closed her eyes to fall into a fitful sleep.

~*~

Ava woke up with an almost silent gasp and jerk finding herself looking at the ceiling of an unfamiliar vehicle. She took a deep breath trying to calm herself down before reaching up and running her hand through her disheveled hair. That’s when she noticed Dean had stopped snoring. 

“You have got to get still woman,” Dean’s sleep worn voice broke the silence and Ava sighed, she’d woken him up.

“Sorry,” Ava mumbled now a little embarrassed, and reaching up to brush away a few tears that always seemed to accompany the dream. This was why she preferred to sleep alone when she did actually sleep. “Nightmare, didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You okay?” he questioned this time sounding more awake and maybe a little worried.

Ava paused at this slightly confused as to why he would be worried but sat up anyway still trying to calm herself down.

“Yeah,” Ava answered after a second or two. “I’ll be fine. I just, gotta get up and move around, sorry again to have woken you up.”

She shook her head trying to get herself on out of the nightmare. It was the same nightmare she had every night when she happened to fall asleep. It was a hazy nightmare always starting off the same way: light and someone talking to her, someone she couldn’t make out, calling her a failure and she was confused and in pain. She never knew why said person was calling her a failure, and every time, every single time she opened her mouth to ask what was going on the light suddenly faded and she was falling. Falling into what felt like a void of darkness and she felt pain, a pain so great sometimes she would wake up screaming because she could still feel it, even outside the dream.

“It’s not a problem.” Dean assured her after a second or two. “Sure you’re okay? You sounded like you might be in pain,”

“Just a bad dream,” Ava muttered shifting her legs a little nervously. “It’s nothing Dean, you should get some sleep, aren’t you exhausted from your hunt?”

“Maybe,” Dean admitted after a second then sighed sitting up and indicating she climb in the back with him. “C’mon, I’m not gonna be able to sleep knowing you’re upfront worrying about whatever,”

“Dean, I’m fine, you should go back to sleep.” Ava protested a little and Dean grumbled something before leaning forward grabbing her under the arms and basically pulling her over the seat. “Dean!!”

“Oh quit bitching, Angel.” Dean muttered to her as they scrambled to rearrange themselves in the back seat. “Usually takes a lot more alcohol for me to even consider curling up in here with a woman.”

“I am perfectly capable of sleeping on my own!” Ava protested again trying to wiggle out of Dean’s grasp.

“Woman!” Dean barked at her banding an arm around her stomach pulling back and tight against his chest not really giving her much escape and tucking his back against the seat. “Get still!”

“Omph!” Ava protested as the air was forced out of her lungs. “Dean let me go!”          

“No. Go to sleep.” Dean ordered gruffly and Ava just grunted and gave up with a sigh.

“Fine.” Ava muttered a bright red flush on her face but relaxed in the grip letting out a deep breath and closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

 


	2. Chapter II

The next morning Ava woke early, blinking the sleep from her eyes and shifting into the warmth behind her, to try and chase away the chill from the cold outside the Impala. It was then that she heard someone talking outside the Impala and figured that was what woke her.

For a moment or two she assumed it was Dean maybe talking to Sam on his phone before she heard a grunt behind her and a tightened arm across her stomach. With a wakening realization, she sat up to try and figure out what was going on before she looked out and over at her truck.

Just as she did, the engine started and she realized with a cold fury that she had left her keys in the truck when she’d gotten out the night before. She scrambled up and jumped over the front seat slamming her hand into the horn to try and distract the two men long enough to get out of the car.

Dean woke with a start jumping up when she honked the horn of the car, and grabbed the ankle of her left foot before it smacked him in the nose.

“What the hell-”

“Hey! Get the hell out of my truck!” Ava was shouting when he finally realized what was happening.

He was quickly prompted into movement opening the door and tumbling out of the Impala onto tired feet.

“Damn it.”

This was the reason he never slept in the back. He could never react quick enough if he needed to get the car started in a hurry. Ava though had already beaten him to the punch sliding into the driver’s seat effortlessly and turning to start it for him, only thing was it wouldn’t start. It tried, it really did but it would never catch and actually start.

“What the hell?” Dean questioned angry then turned when the truck’s tires spun a little on the dirt where it was parked before gaining traction and throwing dust in his face.

Ava then quickly opened the Impala’s car door with her pistol raised and took a shot trying to pop a tire before they got too far, but missed with a clang of metal and then the truck was gone from sight.

“Shit!” Dean said and then looked back at Ava who was lightly thumping her head on the Impala’s wheel.

“Damn it!” she finally exclaimed. “Everything I owned was in that truck! My cash, my guns, Logan’s cards, Logan’s guns! Everything!”

“What did they do to Baby?” Dean said his own anger flushing through him. “Pop the hood!”

Ava moved instantly finding the latch to pop it for Dean to have a look inside. Ava just stayed put cursing under her breath at the men who just stole the truck.

Beside her there was a laugh and she jerked up to find Lucifer sitting next to her in the front seat a smug grin on his face.

“What did you do?” Ava hissed quietly as not to be overheard by Dean who was swearing still under the car hood.

“So many questions.” Lucifer said and that damn smirk on his face told her everything. The thieves hadn’t touched the car. Lucifer had disabled the car so they couldn’t follow.

“You mother-”

At that exact moment, there was a phone ring that distracted her and Dean from what they had been doing. Ava climbed on out of the car and around to where Dean stood cell phone up to his left ear and leaning over the Impala’s engine.

“Sam, look we’ll be back when we can okay?” Dean bit into the phone. “Yeah, here, talk to her.”

Dean shoved the phone in Ava’s direction before turning back to the Impala. She took it and hesitated before bringing the phone up to her own ear.

“This is Ava.”

“Why do you answer the phone like that every time?” Sam’s voice greeted her, he didn’t sound all to happy either.

“Habit,” Ava shrugged and stepped away from Dean where he stood still cussing the other men out. “You wanted to talk to me,”

“Why did you just up and leave last night?” Sam questioned terse. “And why does Dean sound so pissed? Where are you?”

“Someone messed with the Impala and stole my truck.” Ava gritted out after a second. “We’ll be back as soon as he gets the Impala fixed and then we’ll talk, okay? Look I better go try and help him, I’ll talk to you later.”

With that Ava hung up the phone despite Sam’s protesting and turned back to where Dean still stood. She hesitated for a second, the phone just lying in her palm before she stepped back over to Dean.

“Find what was wrong?” Ava questioned hesitantly, knowing the man was on edge anyway.

“Nothing!” Dean proclaimed frustrated. “There’s nothing wrong with her.”

Ava hesitated, shifting to and from on her feet, unsure whether to say anything about Lucifer preventing the car from starting.

“I’m sorry Dean,” Ava finally settled on, deciding it was the best statement to use.

“Not your fault.” Dean grumbled finally, before standing up again and then nodded to the driver’s side door. “Just do me a favor, go try her now, I can’t find anything wrong.”

Ava nodded tossing him his phone before rounding the car and slipping into the driver’s side seat. She then turned her attention to the keys giving them a quick flick to start up the engine. It started easily with a rumble that turned into a purr and Ava smiled at the sound.

She then slid over to the passenger side and waited for Dean to join her so they could head back to Bobby’s. He did after a moment or two and then turned to look at her for a second.

“Want to try and find the truck?” he asked when she raised an eyebrow in question.

“Think that would be a really smart idea, Ava?” Lucifer spoke from the back seat. “No telling what could happen to the Impala along the way.”

“No!” Ava shook her head once she heard this paling a little. She then coughed a little and turned bright red at Dean’s raised eyebrow at the exclamation. “I mean, no it’s fine. Nothing worth going after really.”

“If you’re sure.”

“Yeah,” Ava confirmed with a little nod. “Thanks though.”

Dean grunted in answer and then turned to taking them back to Bobby’s. It was a quiet ride between them and before long they were pulling up to Bobby’s front porch where Bobby stood waiting for them arms crossed. Sam came out of the house behind him when he heard the Impala’s engine.

Ava hesitated a little before she stepped out of the car when Dean cut the engine. She let out a little breath before turning her attention to Bobby.

“Hey Bobby, think we could talk for a few minutes?”

“Yeah, c’mon.” Bobby nodded and turned to head back inside.

Ava nodded and followed him inside and behind her she heard Dean asking Sam about what was for breakfast, distracting him from Bobby and Ava. 

Ava followed Bobby into what she guessed was his study, where he leaned against a desk in the middle arms crossed obviously waiting for an explanation.

“Okay so first off I’m sorry I just bolted last night.” Ava started off then began to pace slightly across the room. “I don’t have any excuses for it, just yeah.” She then let out another huff of a breath pushing her fingers through her hair. “Second thing, and I hate asking this and understand if you say no, but is there any way I can stay here until I can scrape together enough to-”

“Kid, you’re not scraping enough together to go anywhere, you’re fifteen.” Bobby interrupted her and she stopped pacing and looked at him for a second. “You’re staying here. I’ll be damned if I let a kid take off into the wild blue yonder.”

Ava hesitated for a second pausing in her pacing and looking at him looking genuinely confused. “Bobby, I’m not a-”

“You’re staying, end of discussion.”

Ava hesitated again then nodded, looking him straight in the face for the first time since walking into the library. “Well, seeing as I don’t have too much choice….” Her shoulders dropped a little in what could have been relief and she flushed with a blush. “Thank you.”

“Okay, now that this running crap is behind you,” Bobby huffed before standing up and turning to walk out of the study again, waving off her thanks without worry. “I’m going to make sure those idjits haven’t eaten all the food. Hungry?”

“Um yeah sure,” Ava said after a second. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Bobby grunted in agreement before walking out leaving Ava to stand in the study for a minute or two trying to figure out what all had just happened. She then just sighed shrugging her shoulders with a little smile and followed Bobby into the kitchen to get some breakfast.

Dean was sitting at the table munching on something while Sam filled the silence with chatter about this or that. He noticed her walk in and tilted his head to the chair beside him, which she smiled a little and sat in as Sam continued his mostly one sided conversation.

Dean then rolled his eyes a little at his younger brother and slid a plate in front of her which had some eggs and sausage on it. She looked at it for a second then to Dean who was absently munching on a piece of bacon.

“So Ava, since the truck was stolen do you have anything left?” Sam suddenly turned his attention to her and she paused mid bite of the eggs she had decided to eat.

“That’s right,” Dean stopped his munching and turned to look at her. “You said everything you owned was in the truck.”

“The truck was stolen?” Bobby questioned from the counter where he was leaning seeming to be in a little bit of shock at this news.

“Yeah,” Ava admitted after a second looking over at Bobby to give him an answer. “I accidentally left my keys in the truck, and some guys found them. Took off with everything.”

“So all you have is literally the shirt on your back?”

“Already causing the old man problems, aren’t you?” Lucifer’s voice found her with a cackle at her predicament. “You should have never stopped on that highway run.”

Ava flinched a little at the voice and then fidgeted a little not seeming to want to give an answer, but then she felt a hand on her thigh to still her. She hesitated before reaching down to give the hand a squeeze in thanks before facing Bobby with a bright red face of embarrassment.

“Basically.” Ava finally admitted quietly. “But these jeans and shirt haven’t failed me yet, long as I can keep them clean they should last till I can work up some money to-”

“Nonsense.” Bobby cut her off. “We’ll go to town and get you some clothes, and whatever else you need.”

“Bobby, I can’t ask you to-” Ava started but Bobby cut her off again.

“I didn’t say you did.” Bobby brushed it off gruffly. “But I’ll be damned if you live in one pair of wore out jeans and a torn shirt long as you’re here.”

There was another squeeze on her thigh when she opened her mouth to protest before she sighed a little and then answered. “Thank you,”

Sam who had been quiet through the whole thing had watched Ava and Dean rather closely, startled slightly when he noticed Dean shift putting one of his hands on what he guessed was Ava’s knee to still her. He was further surprised when it seemed to work, allowing Ava to focus enough to answer Bobby.

Ava then shifted her gaze from Bobby, who had nodded taking her thank you and wondered off mumbling about finding his wallet, to Sam who she then noticed was watching she and Dean pretty closely. Dean seemed to notice this at the same time she did and pulled his hand back off of her thigh.

“You shouldn’t so openly gawk at a pretty girl Sammy,” Dean teased breaking the tension some. “Have I taught you nothing?”

Ava shifted a little away from Dean and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear a little in embarrassment at being caught before taking another bite of her eggs.

“Oh ho is that a spark of jealousy I see in dear little Sammy’s face?” Lucifer’s voice was just beside her and she felt slight pressure on her left shoulder where he must have laid his head to look between the boys. “Well this should be _fun_ ,” 

Ava stood abruptly to dislodge Lucifer, starting both Sam and Dean, but luckily at that moment Bobby walked back into the kitchen having found his wallet.

“Are you idjits staying here or coming with us?” Bobby questioned not even seeming to notice the mild confusion on both boys faces as they looked at Ava.

“Shopping with a girl,” Dean said finally a grin appearing on his face. “Should be an interesting experience, sure Sammy would have fun with that.”

“It’s Sam.” Sam said out of what sounded like a reflex. “Jerk.”

“Bitch,” Dean replied and Ava blinked slightly confused at the two of them.

“Idjits,” Bobby muttered and Ava just looked at him for a second. “Are you coming or not?”

“Sure, better than spending the afternoon just being lazy.” Dean nodded standing up and Sam followed his example. “We can take Baby,”

“The Impala.” Sam explained seeing Ava’s face. “It’s what Dean calls her.”

“Oh, right.” Ava answered after a second with a nod.

Bobby muttered something under his breath again before Dean walked passed Ava brushing her slightly as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. She didn’t seem to notice too much before turning to follow Bobby and Dean out of the house Sam following her out to the Impala.

“Ava sits shotgun.” Dean said before sliding down into the driver’s seat. Both Sam and Ava hesitated at this statement before Ava looked at Sam still a little confused at this order from Dean. “You two coming or what?”

At this barked question from Dean, Sam laughed a little before bumping Ava lightheartedly towards the car.

“C’mon Princess.” Sam said and Ava raised an eyebrow at him. “Let’s go before they leave us here.”

Ava laughed a little before following him to the car and sliding in beside Dean, who grinned started up the Impala and the radio, before heading them into town.

~*~

“Is there such a thing as a normal jean in women’s jeans?” Ava muttered mostly to herself as she flicked through yet another rack of skinny jeans.

Sam had been attempting to help her find some jeans for the past hour, but neither seemed to be having any true luck with said endeavor, only finding pairs that were either far too large or too long.

Dean had meandered off sometime within the last thirty minutes, bored no doubt and Bobby had just found himself a book to read and a chair to sit in.

“And it was a hard no on skirts, right?” Sam’s voice broke through her thoughts and she turned to see him with a black leather type skirt in his hands. “Cause I think this might be the right length, it might look nice, but if…”

“I can try it on.” Ava said after a second seeing that Sam truly seemed to want her to at least try it, and well he was still attempting to help her so it was the least she could do.

Sam smiled handing it over to her with what looked like a little blush on his face. Ava smiled a little at this and had just turned her attention back to looking for jeans, when her name was called.

“Hey, Ava,” Dean had reappeared with another girl in tow.

“Hello,” Ava greeted the other girl a little awkwardly and stepped back almost stepping into Sam, who was just behind her.

“Ava, this is Amanda.” Dean introduced her and Amanda flashed a bright grin, standing way way too close to Dean. “Amanda this is-”

“You’re Ava, Bobby Singer’s daughter?” the girl asked cutting Dean off. “My mom was talking about you the other day, said you had been missing for a few months now?”

“I, um,” Ava hesitated obviously not sure how to answer the questions being ask and holding the skirt Sam had handed her a little closer.

“Well Amanda, Ava needs help finding some clothes that fit,” Dean cut in again taking control of the conversation. “Think you could help us out?”

“Sure!” Amanda said stepping away from Dean and right on up into Ava’s space. “Hm, you’re pretty petite, aren’t you?”

“C’mon Sam, let’s leave the girls to spend Bobby’s money.” Dean grinned nodding for Sam to follow him.

Ava squeaked a little at being left with the strange girl, but Dean either didn’t notice or ignored it turning to walk away from them.

“Dean I think I’m gonna stay here, maybe help them hold stuff.” Sam had noticed immediately that Ava was uncomfortable.

“Aw, what a sweet boyfriend you have Ava!” Amanda exclaimed and as she had been looking for clothes stepped up behind Ava and hugged her shoulders, causing Ava to flush a bright red color at this statement. Sam was blushing a little too at this avoiding Amanda’s gaze. “But we got this Sam, go on now,”

Sam hesitated watching Ava for a second before nodding over to where Bobby sat reading indicating where he’d be if she needed him. Ava hesitated hands still tight on the skirt he’d handed her but nodded, relenting that she might need some help finding clothes that fit correctly.

Forty minutes later found Ava sitting in a dressing room, almost absolutely refusing to come back out and deal with more clothes that she didn’t like being shoved in her direction to try on.

“Ava?” Bobby’s gruff voice on the other side of the door, made her sigh a little and push her hair out of her face looking up.

“Yeah?” Ava answered after a second.

“You alright?”

She hesitated again before answering. “Er, yeah, just….”

“Overwhelmed?” Bobby provided for her after a second.

“Very,” Ava admitted after a second. “This isn’t really-”

“Figured it might be bothering you when Dean brought that girl over to help.” Bobby said with a little laugh. “Even if he was trying to help, you find anything?”

“Beyond skinny jeans?” Ava huffed out slightly frustrated. “A skirt Sam picked out, and a few other odd and ends.”

“With your petite figure the skinny jeans don’t look that bad.” Bobby offered after a second or two. “I mean not that I know anything about fashion… just seemed like they’d be easier to move in from a hunting point of view.”

Ava really paused at that statement slightly confused, which seemed to honestly be her constant state of the day.

“Hunting point of view...” Ava repeated. “You’re still going to let me hunt?”

“Why would I take you out of it now?” Bobby answered with a shrug, even if he knew she couldn’t see it. “You’ve been hunting your whole life from how I understand it, so guess as long as you don’t hunt without a partner or myself until you’re at least nineteen, I won’t stop you.”

“Okay,” Ava agreed with a quiet voice before letting out a deep breath. “So, if I say I’ll take a couple of these skinny jeans and tops, can we leave?”

“I was hoping you were close to that decision.” Bobby said and Ava laughed. “Took you long enough.”

“Not all of us can be lucky enough to just pull a pair of jeans off the rack and pair it with a flannel and be good to go Bobby.” Ava teased grabbing the clothing she wanted and stepping out of the room.

“Hey now, jeans and a flannel never go out of style.” Bobby said before swinging and arm over Ava’s shoulder and she smiled.

“I will agree with you on that.” Ava then held up the small assortment of clothes she had decided on, the skirt Sam picked out lying on top. “Well I’m good to go, where’s Dean and Sam?”

“They’ll meet us outside.” Bobby replied leading the way out to the registers to get them out of the store.

“Okay,” Ava nodded then turned when her name was called again. It was Amanda. “Oh hey, Amanda, er thank you for all your help. I think I found what I needed.”

“No problem!” the girl chipped with a bright grin. “Hey, could I ask for a favor though?”

“Um, sure.”

“Could you possibly give Dean my number?” Amanda asked handing Ava a small sheet of paper that held the numbers on it. “Thank you!! He’s too hot to just let slip through my fingers!”

“You’re welcome.” Ava said after a second a small forced smile on her face.

“Hope to see you around again Ava!” Amanda called as she walked away with a wave.

“Yeah, sure.” Ava muttered to herself and walked on over to Bobby who was waiting for her to bring the clothes up.

There was a little silence between them as the cashier rang up the clothing and Bobby paid for everything, but soon they were walking out towards the car where Sam sat on the hood with a smile and wave to greet them. Dean was off to the left pacing and talking on his phone seeming agitated.

“So, you gonna give Dean that number?” Bobby questioned as they walked that way.

Ava tilted her head at the question before looking at the little piece of paper in her hand still then back at Dean.

“Yeah, I mean, why wouldn’t I?”

“No reason,” Bobby shrugged and then watched as Sam hopped off the Impala’s hood and took the bags from Ava’s hands to carry them to the trunk.

“Thank you,” Ava said with a little smile before turning to look at Dean who had just gotten off his phone call. He seemed a little agitated. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Dean muttered distractedly pulling his keys out of his pockets.

“Um, well, here.” Ava held out the little piece of paper to him. “Amanda’s number, said she really wanted you to call her.”

“Oh, right, Amanda.” Dean seemed to be disinterested but took the paper anyway. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Ava shrugged then looked at Baby. “Um, I think I’ll ride in the back with Sam back to Bobby’s,”

“Yeah, um alright,” Dean said looking a little confused but didn’t argue as both turned to climb into the car and head back to Bobby’s.

~*~

It was late, bordering on 2am, when Ava found herself standing in the doorway to the kitchen surveying the man sitting at the kitchen table. She honestly hadn’t been able to sleep and had gotten up to maybe go to Bobby’s library and read but the light from the kitchen caught her attention more.

The light over the sink had been flicked on and gave the room just enough light to see around but not enough to wake anyone. She tilted her head to the left hearing what she assumed was Bobby’s snores coming from the library, and then she turned her attention back to the kitchen.

“What’re you doing up this late?” Ava questioned quietly alerting him to her presence.

“Could ask you the same question, Angel,” Dean answered just as quietly turning his gaze to her.

“There’s that name again,” Lucifer’s voice caught Ava off guard and she looked over to spot him sitting on the kitchen counter. “Wonder how long he’ll call you that when he finds out-”

“Couldn’t sleep.” Ava admitted after a second cutting Lucifer off and turning her attention solely to Dean.

Dean nodded in understanding. “Not always easy to sleep somewhere new.”

“Yeah,” Ava agreed after a second, taking that excuse over the truth of her being kept awake by Lucifer’s nightmares every night. “You? I figured you’d be out late with Amanda,”

Dean shrugged seemingly choosing to ignore the comment about Amanda and then Ava noticed him messing with his phone on the table. “Never can get more than three or four hours without waking up,”

“That call from earlier is bothering you.” Ava pinpointed after a second or two crossing her arms. “It’s been bothering you since we got back here and before you left to go meet Amanda.”

“Dad wants me to meet him with Sam in Texas.” Dean finally admitted before nodding to a chair for her to sit in. “Found another hunt.”

“Didn’t you just finish one up?” Ava questioned before walking in and sitting at the table with him. “Like, less than two days ago?”

“Yeah well, Dad’s not one to hesitate on another job rumor.” Dean said after a second and Ava propped her head in her hand listening attentively. “Never has been.”

“Sounds like he’s pretty…” Ava paused trying to find the word she wanted to use.

“Obsessed,” Dean provided easily.

Ava pursed her lips at that and then nodded. “What happened? I mean, why is he a hunter? If you don’t mind me asking, it’s not a profession most find themselves in without a reason.”

Dean hesitated his whole frame tensing up at the question. Ava didn’t say anything waiting to see if he wanted to answer the question. It was a pretty personal one and she wouldn’t begrudge if he decided not to answer her.

“Mom was killed when I was four,” Dean admitted after a second or two and Ava noticed he didn’t mention what had killed her, but she wasn’t going to push and ask. “Been hunting since.”

“I’m sorry.” Ava said quietly after a second or two.

“You?” Dean ask turning his gaze to her.

“Learned about the supernatural when a Vamp tried to take a bite out of me when I was on the streets,” Ava said after a second clicking the nails of her free hand on the table for a second in thought. “Guess he thought I’d be an easy meal till I cut his head from his shoulders. Logan found me soon after that and I’ve hunted with him since.”

“You lived on the streets?” Dean questioned sounding a little shocked at this news.

“Yeah,” Ava admitted after a second or two. “My mother abandon me years ago, and well never knew my dad.”

“Your mom _abandon_ you on the streets?” Dean repeated. 

“When she realized I wasn’t er, normal, she decided I was being haunted by evil and left me to die on the streets.” Ava explained her nails tapping again. “She thought she was ridding the world of what it ‘wasn’t destine’ for,”

“And she was right, wasn’t she?” Lucifer broke in. “Causing-”

“I’d rather not talk about it, if you don’t mind.” Ava said after a second cutting Lucifer off for the second time that night. “It was a long time ago,”

“Er right so,” Dean hesitated again.

“So, Baby,” Ava nodded outside towards the car. “Smoothest running engine I’ve ever heard.”

Dean grinned before laughing a little at the change of subject. He then started explaining to her how he kept the car in such prime condition.

~*~

An hour or two later, Dean heard Bobby’s snores stop when he assumed the other man woke back up to head upstairs. He turned his attention to Ava about to say something, when he caught himself and smiled.

Ava had fallen asleep listening to him talk, her head still propped in her hand the other lying idly beside her on the table.

Standing up Dean shook his head then stepped over gently pulling her chair back startling her a little, and causing her to look around at her surroundings.

“You’re alright, Ava.” Dean informed her quietly. “Just thought maybe you’d be more comfortable in a bed, with a real pillow rather than a table top acting as one,”

“Hm?” Ava hummed not exactly seeming to be awake enough to understand what he was saying.

“C’mon,” Dean said and after a second made a decision, and moved to pick Ava up from the chair she was sitting in. “Let’s get you to bed.”

Ava mumbled a little protest of Dean picking her up and carrying her, but then she just settled again, burying her nose in his shoulder and falling back asleep. Dean laughed a little at this shaking his head, but carried her upstairs to the room he and Sam had spent the latter part of the day clearing out for her.

He pulled her admittedly already rumbled quit she was using down and lay her down before pulling it back over her as she curled over and on her side. He watched her for a second as though trying to figure something out, before shaking his head and turning to leave and let her sleep.

“Thanks Dean,” Ava’s sleep worn voice caught him as he went to pull the door closed.

“No problem.” Dean smiled a little and closed the door behind him heading back downstairs to probably fall asleep on the couch.

~*~

Ava blinked trying to wake herself up from what felt like the deepest sleep she’d had in ages, and tried to figure out her surroundings. After a second or two she remembered where she was and sighed stretching out to where her feet came out from under the worn quilt Bobby had given her to sleep under, and looked over at the window to try and figure out what time it was.

It looked like it was admittedly kinda late from the way the sun was sitting and she cursed a little throwing the quilt away and sitting on the edge of the bed for a second.

It was quiet in the house and she wondered if Bobby was even still home. She sighed shaking her head and went to get up when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

Sitting on the bedside table was a small golden cross pendant attached to a small delicate box chain. Reaching over she picked it up gently only then to notice the small note written underneath it. There was a phone number scrawled out on it and underneath it said:

 

_Mom used to say this helped keep evil away. Maybe it’ll help your nightmares. Call if you ever wanna,_

 

Ava smiled a little before looking at the necklace again, realizing it must be Dean’s number written there. She ran her thumb across the cross before reaching up and slipping it over her head to let the pendant rest against her chest.

She sat there for a second or two and then let out a deep breath as she heard nothing but silence for the first time in as long as she could remember.

“You honestly thought a pendant would keep me away?” she winced a little as this voice broke the silence and she shook her head at that.

“Well, it’s a start,” Ava muttered grabbing some pants and deciding to head down stairs to see if she could find Bobby.

This new life was going to take a little getting used to, but she figured as she pulled on pants and came to find breakfast on the stove with a note about a call from Bobby, she could happily let herself get used to it.

 


	3. Chapter III

Three years later…..

Ava drew a deep breath into her lungs as she paused at the end of the driveway to the house trying to calm down from her run. She then looked around herself, pulling her headphones from her ears, before looking at Bobby’s dog, Rumsfeld who had been her running partner for the morning and nodded back up towards the house.

Rumsfeld woofed and thumped his tail before turning and trotting ahead of her to lead them back home and she followed behind with a little laugh. She picked one of her earbuds up popping it back in her ear to listen to on the way back up and hummed along to the song playing.

“Defunct the strings of cemetery things, With one flat foot on the devils wing, Crawl on me, Sink into me, Die for me, Living dead girl,” Ava sang along softly placing her hands behind her head as she walked.

  
“One flat foot on the devil’s wing, huh?” Lucifer’s voice found her as she walked and she turned to see him idly walking beside her.

“Shut up Lucifer,” Ava said with a little huff, dropping her arms back down. “Always ruining my fun. Haven’t seen you in a few weeks though, not nice to get my hopes up that you were actually gone for good this time.”

“Satan, remember?” Lucifer said and Ava rolled her eyes. “Not a nice being, besides you know you’d miss me if I was truly gone.”

“Yeah think you’re wrong on that aspect, oh King of Evil.” Ava muttered before looking ahead as the house came into view.

“Someone’s here,” Lucifer warned her suddenly and she stopped eyes flicking over different areas to try and spot the intruder.

Ava then turned to ask Lucifer how he knew this when she didn’t spot anything, only to find the fallen angel had vanished again. Muttering to herself about how useless the fallen angel was to have as an alarm system, she turned and instead of walking on up to the house walked back around and out to the barn.

Once there she slipped inside without moving the door to alert anyone to her presence and over to her Jeep which was housed inside. A gift from Bobby two years ago for her birthday, since her truck had been stolen, Ava knew there would be a pistol in the glovebox that she always kept there just in case.

Once armed, Ava turned back towards the house cautiously pistol held at the ready to fire if need to be. She stepped around the side of the house Rumsfeld just at her heals, growling deeply when he spotted someone sitting on the porch at the same time Ava did.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Ava questioned through gritted teeth lowering her pistol as the person stood. “Bobby told you to never bother us again or he would shoot you, Derek.”

“That’s not a friendly way to greet someone.” Derek said ignoring her comment about Bobby for the moment. “And to think I would get such a greeting when I came all the way out here to ask for your help. Not exactly the easiest person to find, are you?”

“Not meant to be found unless I want to be, besides why should I even entertain the thought of helping you?” Ava questioned still obviously angry at Derek’s presence.

“Last time I helped you…” Ava hesitated slightly when she heard a vehicle coming up the drive and turned to spot the Impala not recognizing the engine for a moment.

“I never pegged you as someone who would deny help when ask.” Derek said pulling her attention back to him as he stepped closer to her walking down the steps of the porch.

Ava flushed red at this and stepped back a little raising her pistol again aiming for Derek’s heart. Derek stopped putting his hands up in surrender.

“You almost got Bobby killed.” Ava gritted out as she heard the Impala engine die, and Dean’s boot hit the ground behind her. “You used us as bait, knowingly used us as bait.”

“Okay look I would have actually felt bad if she had killed you two.” Derek said and at Ava’s raised eyebrow he sighed. “Okay, so I would have felt bad if _you_ had gotten killed. I did tell you not to follow him into the woods, that it was dangerous.”

“You knew what we were up against, and didn’t warn us.” Ava gritted out, tilting her head as she heard Dean move a little closer to her. She then heard a second shuffle of feet that she guessed to be Sam’s just to her right. “You let us go up against that enchantress and she almost killed us! I am not helping you with anything else, Derek,”

“I think you need to leave,” Dean’s voice broke between the two.

Ava tilted her head realizing he was standing literally just beside her, and then there was a hand on her shoulder. He gave it a little squeeze and Ava lowered her pistol slowly still watching Derek closely.

Derek was looking Dean up and down obviously sizing up the intruder. Ava’s hand tightened on her pistol noticing this and set her jaw, stepping a little to the side to put herself between Dean and Derek. Dean’s grip tightened a little on his shoulder before it dropped shifting his own footing obviously preparing for a possible fight.

“Who the hell are you?” Derek finally bit out at Dean.

“A family friend.” Ava stated for Dean. “None of your business really, but I do believe he ask you to leave.”

“I am still needing your help Ava,” Derek stated his voice taking on a softer tone. “Going to deny a simple request?”

“Yes,” Ava promptly replied. “You burned this bridge, find another.”

Derek didn’t say anything else, just set his own jaw and stood in front of the porch for a few more moments. No one moved waiting for Derek to walk away, and after close to five minutes Derek scoffed and moved to walk away back towards his car.

Once the car had started and was heading back up the drive Ava relaxed her grip on her pistol and stepped forward and around to face Dean and Sam. She smiled a little in greeting but then tilted her head in slight confusion.

“Morning.” Ava said brightly, and Dean laughed a little. “Not to be rude, but what brought on this sudden visit?”

“Well, Sammy here was insistent to come visit since we weren’t hunting.” Dean answered for them. “Hope you don’t mind,”

“’Course not,” Ava shrugged before turning to head up the steps inside the house. “I was just fixing to start breakfast.”

Sam and Dean both just stood where they were, watching Ava hop up the steps and head inside seeming to be caught in their own thoughts for a few seconds. Finally, Sam coughed and brought them out of their thoughts walking around the Impala to head inside.

“Damn,” Dean muttered under his breath and then shook his head to follow Sam and Ava inside.

Ava had just set a plate of toast on the table where Sam was sitting and the two were happily chatting when Dean walked in. Ava glanced over at him and smiled before turning back to the stove to check on what sounded like bacon cooking on the stove.

Dean sat and watched her idly listening to Sam and Ava’s conversation as she moved about the kitchen easily. Dean couldn’t seem to wrap his head around the fact that this woman was the same scrawny, wide eyed girl he’d left with Bobby three years ago.

He couldn’t deny she had grown into quite a pretty little thing in her tight black tank top and shorts that she was still wearing from her run. She now had long dark curly hair that was thrown up haphazardly and she stood at maybe 5.4 if Dean were to take a guess. He watched as she stepped over and reached down to grab something putting her admittedly _perfect_ ass right at eye level for him, and he bit down a groan.

Sam next to him coughed and Dean jumped realizing he’d been caught checking Ava out quite unabashedly. Sam raised an eyebrow then rolled his eyes at Dean and turned his attention back to Ava who was now piling bacon up on a plate for them.

“Well, Bobby’s gone for a few days, something Rufus needed help with, so sorry if you were looking for him.” Ava said and Dean’s gaze shot to her instead of his brother.

“What was Rufus needing help on so badly?” Sam questioned as Ava stepped over to the refrigerator to pull out a pitcher of orange juice.

“Some werewolf problem I think,” Ava shrugged setting the pitcher on the table and turning back around to step over to the counter where Dean finally noticed a coffee pot.

She poured a mug before stepping back over to the others setting the mug down in front of Dean. She then took a seat at the table with them and picked up a piece of bacon munching on it lightly.

“That sounds fun.” Sam said and Ava smiled.

“I’m sure Rufus was going to have lots of fun.” Ava said with a shrug. “Bobby was already bitching as he headed out the door.”

“Why didn’t you go with him?” Dean questioned finally deciding to join the conversation.

“I just got home from a Vampire hunt in Louisiana with my friend Alex,” Ava explained after a beat. “So, I decided to stay here, besides getting Rufus and Bobby in a confined space for a drive is just a lot of sass thrown back and forth,”

Sam sort of pursed his lips and tilted his head to the side in agreement to this while Ava contented herself with a piece of toast for the moment being.

“So, who was that dick?” Dean questioned after a second nodding towards the door when Ava gave him a confused look.

“Oh, you mean Derek?” Ava questioned through a mouthful of toast and Dean grinned while Sam made a mild bitchface. Ava then swallowed before finishing her explanation. “Son of a hunter Bobby knows. Awful hunter himself, called Bobby for some help when he was in too deep and was afraid to call his dad.” Ava looked at her toast for a second before looking back up at Dean. “He pissed off an enchantress, stole something from her or something, and she almost killed Bobby before I was able to stop her.”

“How’d you stop her?” Sam questioned honestly sounding curious.

“Sealed the bitch in a locket,” Ava explained with a shrug. “And then destroyed the locket when I found the right resources to do so.”

“The right resources?” Dean questioned seeming a little confused.

“I called in a favor,” Ava said after a second. “Know a hunter in New Orleans that specializes in such disposals,” Ava then looked at Sam. “Mama Doux, if you’re ever in a pinch.”

“I’ll remember that,” Sam nodded and Ava grinned a little before taking her last bite of toast.

“Speaking of Mama Doux, I should go give her a call,” Ava tilted her head in thought then stood up from the table. “I trust you two can keep yourselves entertained?”

“Of course,” Sam grinned and Ava nodded walking out with a wave over her shoulder to go make her phone call. “Well, she’s certainly…changed since the last time we saw her,”

“That’s one way to put it, yeah,” Dean confirmed still looking at the spot where Ava had disappeared from.

“You should quit tiptoeing around her and just go for it,” Sam muttered after a second or two and then rolled his eyes as Dean opened his mouth to protest. “Oh please, do you think I’m blind? Besides you’re not the only one who’s been having phone conversations with her for the last few years Dean,” Sam paused to let that statement sink in. “Might want to go for it before someone else does and you lose your chance,”

At that Sam stood up and followed Ava out of the kitchen, leaving Dean sitting at the table with a slight confusion on his own face.

~*~

  
Ava looked up when someone else walked into the study, from where she had been standing bent over an open book and smiled seeing Sam slip in trying to be quiet.

“Hey, King, I gotta call you back,” Ava said after a second or two watching Sam walk on into the room eyes flicking over books. “Yeah, no tell Mama Doux I’ll look into it for her, sure I’ve got some books around here that can help me. Yeah, see you soon,”

Ava then hung up the phone and turned her full attention to the youngest Winchester, who was still browsing Bobby’s book shelves. She watched him for a moment or two before she smiled shaking her head and standing up straight crossing her arms over her chest.

“So, care to tell me the real reason behind you wanting to come out here so badly and unannounced, Sam?” Ava questioned after a second and the other teen turned to look at her with a slightly sheepish look on his face.

“Have you gotten any mail for us lately?” Sam questioned after a second his feet shifting a little uncomfortable under her gaze.

Ava smiled a little at this before nodding to the end of the desk where one letter sat seeming to be waiting for him.

“Addressed to a Mr. Samuel Winchester.” Ava said as Sam stepped over to pick the letter up hesitantly. “I’m pretty sure that’s the yes you’ve been waiting for, from Stanford no less.”

Sam hesitated again looking at her in a little bit of shock as to how she would know what the letter would contain. She smiled and rolled her eyes waving her hand at him, indicating he should open the letter.

“How did you know?” Sam questioned not opening the letter just yet.

“You’ve been talking about different colleges for two years now Sam,” Ava said crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. “Stanford came up a lot here recently. I may not have the same big brains you do, but I can put two and two together.” Ava then looked back at the letter still idle in Sam’s hands. “Open it, I’m pretty positive it’s a yes.”

Sam nodded and after a second picked a knife up off Bobby’s desk and slit the paper open to pull out the letter. There was a moment of silence as Sam read the letter and then the smile that light up his face gave Ava the answer she knew was coming.

“Congrats Sam,” Ava said and instantly his gaze snapped up to her. “I’m really proud of you,”

“Thanks,” Sam said and then plopped down in one of the chairs behind him, seeming to almost be in shock. “I can’t believe…it’s a yes Ava, I’m going to Stanford….”

“You are,” Ava said with a grin before walking over a little closer to where he sat.

“Ava. I’m going to Stanford!” Sam exclaimed suddenly standing up and then grabbing her and picking her up to swing around with a little laugh.

Ava let out a little yelp of surprise at this sudden movement before she laughed and then just wrapped her arms around Sam’s neck in a hug. Sam then set her back down on her feet, before burying his head in her shoulder and laughed again but this time Ava heard the relief in the sound.

“I can go and be normal for once…” Sam said this so quietly she almost didn’t hear him and she hesitated unsure how to respond.

“Ava,” both turned when they heard this voice and instantly sprung apart when the door to the Library opened revealing Dean with a little worried look on his face.

“Yeah?” Ava questioned her voice a little higher in her surprise, turning to face him and stepped to the side to hide the letter Sam still held in his hand. She then coughed and tried to speak to him again. “What’s up?”

“I, er heard you yell as I was headed outside,” Dean explained after a second looking between the two slightly confused. “You okay?”

“Oh yeah, I’m fine.” Ava said with a wave to clear his worry. “Um a book fell off the table and landed on my foot, startled me a little sorry, didn’t mean to alarm you.”

“Right, well, um, try to keep your toes a little safer.” Dean said after a second still looking a little confused and his eyes flicking back and forth between Sam and Ava. “I’m gonna go outside and tune Baby up if you need anything,”

“Oh, um right,” Ava nodded a bright blush covering her face as Dean looked between the two as he did. “Want me to come get you when I make lunch?”

“Yeah sure.” Dean said absently then turned and walked out leaving the other two still standing in the study. Ava then turned to look at Sam a little worry on her own face.

“How’re you going to tell Dean?”

All the happiness which was in Sam’s face only moments before had disappeared and been replaced with a wide-eyed look as his face paled. He then looked back at the letter in his hand completely unsure how he was going to tell Dean he was leaving.

“I….I’ll tell him in a few days,” Sam said and Ava nodded. “He, I don’t know if he’s gonna understand Ava, not like you do.”

“He’s your brother Sam,” Ava said with a little encouraging smile. “He’ll understand.”

“I hope so,” Sam muttered and looked up when Ava reached up and patted his cheek.

“He will, trust me.” Ava said and then Sam smiled a little. “And really Sam, congrats Stanford doesn’t know how lucky it is to have you.”

“Thanks,” Sam muttered blushing a little under the praise.

“Well, now since I have your big brain here to help me, I need some help looking into a pretty weird case my friend Mama Doux found.” Ava said switching gears and turning around to step back over to the book she’d been looking at when he walked in. “I can’t tell if it’s some stupid teens in over their head or an actual case case, what I’ve got so far is…”

Sam smiled a little with a laugh under his breath and turned his attention to Ava instead of the fallout he knew was coming when he told Dean and his father he was leaving.

~*~

  
Two days later found Ava back in Bobby’s study on the phone with said hunter looking for a certain bit of information for him.

“Sounds like it wasn’t just a werewolf wreaking havoc, then?” Ava questioned her fingers tracing over the spines of the books as she looked for the specific one Bobby wanted. “Which charm ingredients am I looking for again?”

There was a slight pause and a hum from Ava in acknowledgement as she found the book she was looking for. She opened it flicking through the pages absently, but then paused when she heard a yell come from the kitchen. That was Sam’s voice.

“Er yeah, hang on Bobby, I’m still looking.” Ava was brought back to her task at hand when Bobby’s voice was sharp in her ear.

She then paused again looking up when she heard another shout, this time though it was someone else’s voice that she heard, not someone she recognized. She shook her head finally finding the ingredients Bobby was after and quickly gave them to him before the two ended the conversation, Bobby stating he’d probably be home a little later that evening.

After getting off the phone with Bobby, Ava set the book down on the desk and cautiously stepped out of the study to see what was going on. She hesitated again when she heard someone else shout again and then Dean’s voice, measured and quieter combating it.

She stepped closer to the kitchen, only to pause and wrinkle up her nose when the very strong stench of cigarette smoke, Johnnie Walker and the tang of blood assaulted her senses. She paused unsure who would bring such a smell into the house beyond another hunter, and reached over picking up one of Dean’s pistols from a table to her left.

Ava stepped slowly around the corner and into the kitchen, pistol held ready to aim if needed when she spotted what was going on in Bobby’s kitchen. As soon as she stepped in though, a man she didn’t know spotted her and instantly had a pistol in his own hand aimed at her.

Sam stood just across from him his face bright red hands balled up into fist as he also noticed Ava. Dean stood closest to her and moved putting himself between Ava and this other man almost instantly. The other man hesitated for a moment before lowering his gun and looking her over.

“And you are?” the man questioned his voice low and quite gruff.

“Ava,” Ava introduced herself shortly, then raised an eyebrow at the little surprise on his own face as he seemed to recognize the name. “And who are you and why are you in Bobby’s house yelling at Sam?”

“Dad, I think this conversation should be finished later.” Dean said answering half of Ava’s question with that one statement. The man standing in Bobby’s kitchen yelling at Sam was none other than the one and only John Winchester.

“Fine.” John bit out after a second putting his pistol away, and Ava did the same tucking the pistol into the back of her jeans and stepping a little to the side of Dean closer to Sam. “Go get your things, got a hunt in Arizona.”

“No,” Sam said after a second.

“Excuse me?” John questioned his voice becoming louder. At that Ava reached behind her placing her hand on the pistol again watching John quite closely. “I said go get your things,”

“And I said no.” Sam repeated his hazel eyes sharp body posture ridged.

John opened his mouth and took a step towards Sam, but within a blink Ava was standing between the two pistol back out and in her hands. John hesitated once Ava stepped between the two and looked her over again.

“No isn’t an option here.”

“Guess it is now,” Ava said for Sam, trying to keep her voice level.

There was an instant tension in the room as John hesitated again before saying anything but his face continued to get more and more red by the moment.

“I think it’s time for you to leave, John.” Ava said her jaw set finger hesitating on her trigger waiting for the man to make any type of threatening move towards them.

“You need to stay out of this,” John’s voice and attention was now directed at her, and she saw Dean shift out of the corner of her eye a little closer.

“You put me in this when you decided to have this yelling match discussion in Bobby’s kitchen.” Ava clipped out shifting into a more defensive stance when John did step closer to them. “If you don’t want others in your business John, you should be more discreet, besides Sam’s old enough to make his own decisions whether you like them or not. He’s decided to stay here, so you need to leave.”

“He’s only eighteen,” John gritted out.

“Funny how eighteen is considered old enough to make decisions independently.” Ava shot back tensing a little more at the half step John took towards them again.

“The intimidation game doesn’t work on me John, you need to leave.”

John didn’t move but before he had a chance to think about it, Dean grabbed his arm pulling him back and away from Ava and Sam.

“Go take care of your hunt.” Dean said stepping in front of Ava. “We’ll meet you afterwards and we can finish this discussion.”

“There’s nothing left to discuss.” Sam spoke up and Ava looked back at him. “I’ve made up my mind, I’ll be gone by the end of this month.”

“You really think running off to that college is going to give you what you want, Sam? That normal life that you seem so fucking obsessed with? You would break up your family for some faze of trying to be normal?” John laughed darkly taking a step towards them again. Dean shifted putting himself between Ava and John standing basically chest to chest with the older man who continued to yell. “You’re an idiot if you think you can just walk away. You know what’s out there and you’re just going to walk away!”

“I think Sam deserves a choice in what he does for his own life!” Ava came back at him her own voice starting to rise. “Belittling him because he wants to better himself is childish! And dragging him through your fucking nonexistent holy war against the Supernatural is childish! Be his father, not a tyrant!”

“You shut up and stay the fuck out of this!” John barked at her pushing against Dean trying to step closer to them. Ava raised her gun in response.

“You get the fuck out of Bobby’s house!” Ava finally roared losing her tempter with John’s attitude.

Behind her three lightbulbs for the kitchen popped and then blew shattering glass down onto the floor. No one seemed to notice it as all three were staring at Ava in shock at the raw power coming from her voice. Ava then, took a deep breath trying to reign in her temper when she heard a mocking laughter from Lucifer and a warning to control herself before she regretted something getting loose that shouldn’t.

“You go to that damn college and you can forget about ever coming back.” John growled out seeming to get over Ava’s voice after a second. “You go and you no longer belong to this family.”

There was a ringing silence in the kitchen as John said this and no one dared to move. Sam finally did after a few moments, and when he spoke his voice had a dark cold edge to it that Ava had never heard before.

“I’ve made up my mind, and you need to leave.”

At that Dean turned and looked at Sam a little shock on his own face before turning back to John pushing the man backward as he sputtered in his own rage.

“Do not ever come back!” John was roaring as Dean pushed him out of the kitchen towards the front door.

Once the man was outside, and having heard the door close behind Dean, Sam collapsed into a chair at the kitchen table. He put his head in his hand before running his fingers through his hair and only looked up when Ava softly set the pistol on the table.

“I told you they wouldn’t understand.” Sam muttered quietly.

“Maybe not.” Ava conceded after a second and he looked up at her. “But I’m proud of you for holding your ground.”

“Thanks,” Sam mumbled after a second before sighing. “Dean’s going to be pissed when he comes back in here.”

“I’ll handle Dean when he comes back,” Ava said crossing her arms and shrugging. “So, tell me, what made you decide to tell them both at the same time?”

“Thought it might be easier in one big blow out.” Sam admitted after a second or two then shook his head. That was when he noticed the glass on the floor from the three broken lightbulbs and raised an eyebrow at Ava.

“Don’t ask.” Ava muttered suddenly self-conscious.

“Same as when you healed me from the Banshee?” Sam questioned tilting his head in a quiet curiosity.

“Yeah,” Ava nodded before turning and grabbing the broom to clean up the glass. “So, I think I just decided, I don’t like your dad Sam.”

Sam laughed a little at this leaning back a little in his chair, giving an effort to trying to relax since Ava was trying to change the subject for both of them.

“Yeah, most times I don’t either.” Sam admitted and Ava snorted out a little laugh herself as she swept up the glass. “Bobby’s been more of a dad to us anyway,”

“Yeah?” Ava stood to throw the glass away. “He’s good at that seems like,”

“Where are the lightbulbs?” Sam questioned standing up. “I’ll get them and put them in for you, so you don’t have to grab a ladder.”

“Well, not all of us can be giants, Sam.” Ava said a little grumpily before pointing in the direction of the closet where they resided. “Hall closet, top shelf.”

“Just lucky like that, Short Stack,” Sam said hiding his laughter at Ava’s offended exclamation.

Ava pursed her lips before shaking her head and turning to put the broom away. The yelling from outside had ceased and Ava heard a truck start up and pull away from the house. She sighed a little before deciding she’d best step outside and check on Dean.

He had his back to her standing just next to the Impala. Ava stood on the porch for just a second not wanting to interrupt his thought pattern before he moved brushing a hand across his face. Ava was by his side in an instant trying to find out why he had done such a thing, only to spot a little bit blood from a busted lip.

“Did he hit you?” Ava exclaimed a righteous anger welling up inside her at this.

“Stop fussing Ava.” Dean brushed her off turning to head back inside.

“Don’t you dare go in there pissed,” Ava warned him hands on her hips.

“Dad was right! You need to stay out of this!” Dean whipped around his own voice starting to slightly raise. “It doesn’t involve you!”

“You go in there right now pissed and throwing a fit, and you lose Sam just as quickly as your father just did!” Ava shot back her own voice starting to rise. “He’s not staying, regardless of all the yelling you do! You go in there right now and yell, and you lose the last month you have with him!”

“What matter does it make if I lose the month?” Dean yelled right back at her. “If he’s leaving anyway why not cut the cord right now?”

“You really want to do that?” Ava’s voice raised to match his, and off to her left she heard a pop of glass probably from a headlight on a car.

“Watch your tempter, Doll.” Lucifer’s voice was a reminder and she took a deep breath trying to calm down.

“You want to lose him for good because you’re pissed he’s going to college for something a little better than this? Fuck Dean, when did you become so selfish?” Ava said and at that Dean literally snarled at her.

“Selfish?” Dean threw back.

“Selfish!” Ava repeated her hands balling up into fist and she heard another pop of glass somewhere. To hell with her temper. “You’re throwing a fit like a child! You knew this day would come! You tell me you didn’t and your lying ass can get off this property!”

Three more pops in the background as Dean went silent for a few moments and then his shoulders dropped a little in defeat.

“I’m not pissed he’s leaving Ava.” Dean finally admitted. “I’m afraid of him not coming back to us. You heard Dad, he never wants to see him again, once he’s gone building a life away from this why would he want to come back?”

Ava was silent at this, before she let out a deep breath and unclenched her fist. She wasn’t entirely sure what to do with the confession but finally making a decision, stepped up to Dean and hugged him around his chest and buried her nose in it for a second. He hesitated for just a second before returning the embrace gently.

“Maybe he won’t come back to this life.” Ava said after a second.

Dean made an almost angry noise in the back of his throat and stood up straight again, almost pushing Ava away. She pursed her lips and just looked up at him not willing to be moved.

“Let me finish, Dickhead,” Ava said tersely not liking being interrupted. “Maybe he won’t come back to hunting, but do you really want this life for him?” At this statement, Dean looked away avoiding her gaze. “Yeah, that’s kinda what I thought.” There was another pause before Ava stepped back and away from him granting the space he wanted earlier. “Maybe you should take a drive and sort yourself out before going back inside to talk with Sam? Keep you from saying something you’re going to regret later.”

Dean looked at her for a good few moments before nodding in agreement to her suggestion finally seeming to realize she was right.

“Alright,” Dean said after a second nodding again, before looking over at the Impala.

Ava tilted her head at the small flash of thought that she saw flick across his face wondering what the other hunter was thinking before she shifted to step farther back away from him. There was another second or two of hesitation before Dean seemed to make up his mind and turned back to Ava.

She raised an eyebrow wondering what was going on in his head before he moved, taking her face and both hands gently tilting her head up and leaning down pressing their lips together softly. Ava stood shocked for a second before the slight pressure was gone and she reached up placing her hands around his wrist to ground herself and to make sure he didn’t just disappear on her.

“Thanks for getting in the middle of this.” Dean said after a second resting his forehead against hers lightly. “Even if it didn’t involve you.”

“You’re welcome...” Ava said after a second still a little shocked at this turn of events out of the elder Winchester.

“I’ll be back in a while.” Dean finally said letting her go and she copied the movement letting go of his wrist.

“Okay,” Ava agreed quietly as he stepped away sliding into the driver’s side seat.

Ava stood in the drive for a second or two after Dean left trying exactly to process what had just happened. She ran her fingers through her hair letting out a deep breath, confused still before shaking her head and turning to head back inside to where Sam was probably waiting.

“Well, that was certainly _cute_.” Someone said and Ava jerked around to see who it was. “Ah such beautiful young love!”

Leaning against a hood of a truck in the yard stood a man who Ava knew well enough. This man though, was no human he was in fact a demon, and in his black tailored suit and dress shoes he looked vastly out of place here in the midst of Bobby’s junkyard.

“Crowley.” Ava said relaxing some and rolling her eyes. “Mind your own business, will you?”

Crowley and Ava had met a few years ago by chance after Ava had finished up a recent hunt. The two had talked and surprisingly hit it off well enough that by the time Ava realized he was in fact not human, she couldn’t bring herself to kill him. In turn, he seemed to have some odd interest in not actively killing the young hunter, so their odd friendship was born.

Since then Crowley had shown up in her life randomly, typically bringing her information she couldn’t get elsewhere and even weary as she was to gain the information from the demon he hadn’t failed her yet.

“Of course, Love,” Crowley said with a little grin standing up.

“To what do I owe this visit?” Ava questioned raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms. “I don’t remember summoning you, or needing help on a case,”

“Can’t I just drop in to see my favorite, oh what is it that Winchester calls you?” Crowley grin then brightened. “Angel, was it? And to think I even brought you a gift!”

“A gift?” Ava questioned wearily. “I don’t remember needing anything,”

“I found a book that might interest you.” Crowley said and with a little flick of his wrist a book was dropped in front of Ava who fumbled to catch it. “Some old practices of dream interpretations and legends tied to them, might help with your nightmare?”

Ava hesitated a bright flush winding its way up to her cheeks again, before wondering when Crowley had discovered her nightmare. She’d never told him about it. She looked at the book for a second before looking back up at him.

“I’ve never told you I have nightmares.” Ava said after a second or two. “How do you know about that?”

“Ava?” Sam’s voice came from the house and she snapped around to look at the door.

“Still outside Sam,” Ava called back after a second giving Crowley a sharp look. “Give me a second.”

“Best go check on your other Winchester, Love.” Crowley rolled his own eyes, before he waved at her. “Ta,”

“Crowley!” Ava hissed at the Demon who promptly disappeared leaving her standing in the driveway book in her hands. “Fucking demon!”

Ava then turned to step back in the house book tucked under her arm to go see what Sam needed from her.

~*~

Later that night found Ava sitting at the kitchen table idly reading the book Crowley had given her. Sam had already turned in for the night, and the house was quiet save for the occasional movement from Rumsfeld as he walked in and out of the house through front door that Ava had left open to hear when Dean or Bobby returned.

Even Lucifer seemed to have taken the night off from bothering Ava, which let her read in complete silence for once.

After another paragraph read, Ava tilted her head thinking she heard something. She looked up and around herself, to see if maybe it was just Lucifer making his presence known again before looking down to spot Rumsfeld lying at her feet asleep when she didn’t see anything. There was another pause of silence before she heard it again.

It almost sounded like an animal’s claws clicking on flooring.

Thinking maybe something had wondered into the house without her noticing, she stood up grabbing the pistol she had laid on the table earlier, and cautiously walked around the corner to look into the living room.

She didn’t see anything and relaxed a little shaking her head thinking maybe it was just her hearing things. She stood there for a moment or two listening to see if she heard it again, before sighing and taking the pistol and tucking it into the back of her jeans.

Ava then looked over at a clock to see maybe what time it was and if she wanted to wait up for Bobby or Dean to come home. It was just a little after midnight.

Deciding she might as well try to get herself some sleep, Ava turned to grab her book off the table before she heard the noise again. She paused looking around, but this time Rumsfeld’s head popped up and he growled looking in an empty space just behind Ava.

Ava then froze when she felt a warm gush of air being snorted across her hand and then what felt like a cold nose pressed into her palm.

“Well, well, would you look at this?” someone questioned from the doorway and instantly the cold nose was gone and a growl, something much deeper and more dangerous sounding than Rumsfeld came from behind Ava. “Hello to you too, Juliet.”

Ava turned to see who it was talking, hesitantly pulling her gun back out of her jeans. She felt whatever it was that was growling, press against her legs pushing her back and away from the man who now stood in the door way.

A man stood on the porch a wicked grin on his face, but what Ava instantly focused on wasn’t the man’s appearance, it was his eyes. They were a very sick unnatural looking yellow color.

“Well would you look at what Crowley found for himself?” the man said looking Ava over, and the pressure against her legs became more insistent making her take a half-step back. “The little Weeping Fallen, such a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Ava stayed silent unsure what this man (was he a man?) was talking about. Her pistol was still trained on him and a hand had now also reflexingly curled into the invisible fur of the being pushing on her.

The man’s gaze flicked down to look at the invisible creature before back up at Ava and the grin on his face turned into a leer. There was a sudden feeling of dread that flooded her at that look, dark and slick curling in her gut. She shivered a little, before the man went to step forward before pausing and seeming to think better of it.

Ava figured he might be anticipating the Devils trap underneath the welcome mat. Shame really, that would have answered her question on what this man was, because he was obviously not human.

“Who are you?” Ava demanded when he looked back up at her and adjusted his coat. “And why are you here?”

“What’s your name?” the man came back seeming to ignore her question.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“Oh, but Little One, it is my business.” The man said and the creature protecting Ava growled again. “I need to know what to call the-”

“Ava!” someone called and the man turned to see Dean stepping out of the Impala pistol in his hand.

“Ava,” the man said with a laugh then turned to her, she felt that sickening dread in her gut again when he called her by name. “Well, Ava, I’ll be seeing you again.”

Then he was gone, vanished from the doorway before Dean could get to the porch.

Dean though, once the man was gone, didn’t even hesitate to quickly step inside the house and shut and lock the door behind him. The creature whatever it was, vanished from in front of Ava as soon as Dean turned and walked over towards them.

“Are you alright?” Dean questioned when he reached her tilting her head up to look at him looking her over for injuries.

“Yeah,” Ava answered after a second. “Yeah, I’m fine. Who or what was that?”

Dean hesitated for a second before he let her face go and stepped back from her slightly a pained expression on his face.

“That was the demon that killed my mom.”

There was a ringing silence between the two for a few moments as Ava processed the information just given to her. Dean nor Sam ever talked about Mary Winchester, let alone how the woman died. The only time Ava had even heard Dean talk about her was when she had ask why they were hunters, and that was three years ago.

“The demon who-?”

Ava was cut off when the front door handle rattled, and both Dean and Ava both instinctively turned and aimed their pistols at the door. There was a slight hesitation before it swung open and revealed Bobby standing there.

He stood there for a second just looking at both Dean and Ava before looking at the pistols they held with a raised eyebrow at the reaction.

“Put those things away, Idjits.” Bobby ordered gruffly stepping on inside and both Ava and Dean lowered their weapons. “What’s got you all riled up?”

“Nothing,” Dean quickly lied gruffly tucking his pistol away.

Ava pursed her lips but stayed silent. She too moved tucking her pistol away again before looking over at Bobby and taking in his appearance.

“Midnight’s a little later than I was expecting.” Ava commented lightly, eyes looking him over for any serious wounds. A few tears of clothing and a bandage or two but he looked all in all in one piece to Ava, tired but in one piece. “Startled us is all.”

“Took longer to wrap things up than expected.” Bobby offered as explanation dropping his bag by the door.  
He seemed to have noticed he had interrupted something important as he walked on into the house and passed the two standing there. He gave Ava a pat on the shoulder as he passed and then stretched heading on upstairs.

“Gonna shower and hit it.” Bobby informed them and Ava nodded. “Sam here too?”

“Sleeping upstairs.” Ava confirmed with a little smile. “Night Bobby.”

Bobby waved over his shoulder disappearing upstairs and Ava waited till she heard a door shut before turning back to Dean. He had turned and walked into the kitchen away from her and she pursed her lips again before following.

In the kitchen, she found Dean sitting at the table with a beer in hand seeming to be waiting for Ava to follow. She stood there for a second or two before stepping over to the counter and leaning back against it waiting for Dean to speak. She figured he might want some space for this conversation.

“November 2, 1983.” Dean said after a second, and Ava crossed her arms avidly listening. “Sam was six months old, and I remember it being late when I heard him crying.” Dean paused again seeming to be thinking and twirled his beer bottle absently. “I kept thinking something was wrong, something was off, he’d been crying for too long. Next thing I remember clearly enough is smoke and fire and Dad handing me Sammy and telling me to run.” Dean paused again taking a drink out of the beer. “Ran until my feet hit grass in the front yard.” He then glanced over at her. “The rest is well, history?”

Ava remained silent as though trying to figure out what exactly she wanted to say to Dean after the confession. In this lingering silence, Dean spotted the book Ava had been reading still open on the table in front of him.

“This isn’t English,” Dean said apparently trying to change the subject.

“Latin,” Ava informed him after a second. “Something a friend found for me.” Ava hesitated after a second or two, then reached up subconsciously and pulled the necklace there out from under her shirt and started to flip the pendant in her hand. “Thought it might help me figure out a case I’m working on,”

Dean noticed the nervous movement. He just studied her for a moment or two watching as she flipped the pendant around in her fingers a few times, before he realized what it was she was messing with. It was the necklace he’d left with her years ago, the one that held a small golden cross on it.

At that he stood up and stepped over to her reaching over and pulling the pendant out from between her fingers and bringing her out of her thoughts.

“Is it helping?”

“Yeah, it is.” Ava said after a second or two. She figured by this time he wasn’t talking about the book anymore. “It was pretty thoughtful,”

“Um, am I interrupting something?” Sam’s voice caught them both off guard.

Ava jumped a little a blush winding up her face immediately, and Dean stepped back both looking over at him seeming to be a loss for words for a second or two. Ava coughed after a second and Dean just stepped back another step and ran his fingers through his hair.

“No, it’s nothing Sammy,” Dean finally said his voice slightly scratchy. “I’m going to turn in,”

“Go stay upstairs,” Ava said after a second or two, deciding in a split second that she didn’t want Dean sleeping on the couch. The only other available bed at that point was the one that was literally falling apart in the guest room with Sam. “Use my room, I’ve got some research I need to do and probably won’t be needing it.”

Dean looked at her for a second before he nodded, and walked out and past Sam with a little pat on his shoulder. Sam hadn’t moved the whole time just letting his eyes dart between Ava and Dean.

“Night,” Dean said gruffly heading on up the stairs.

“Night,” Ava and Sam both called almost absently.

Ava had turned around away from Sam walking over to a cabinet almost ignoring him completely. He still stood in the doorway watching Ava for a moment or two.

“Up for some water, Sam?” Ava finally ask when she realized he still hadn’t moved.

“What was that that I walked in on?” Sam said when he heard the door upstairs close.

“Nothing Sam.” Ava said with a little hint of finality to her flat tone.

“ _Bullshit_.” Sam almost growled out stepping into the kitchen. “I am not an idiot.”

“No, you are far from it Sam,” Ava replied almost absently finally finding what she was after in the cabinet. It was a mason jar with a clear liquid in it. “That’s the reason that Stanford wants you, remember?”

“That isn’t water.” Sam noted as she unscrewed the lid and took a drink.

“Points for proving you are in fact, not an idiot.” Ava said her voice a little scratchy from the burn of the alcohol going down her throat. She then screwed the cap back on and placed the bottle back in the cabinet. “But regardless, did you need something?”

She had turned back to look at him now that her blush had thankfully subsided. Sam looked her over for a second then his eyes landed on the cross pendant on the top of her shirt. She shifted a little uncomfortable at that and reached up tucking it back down and into her shirt. She then moved intending to just walk past Sam and across into the Library.

“Don’t stay up all night,” Sam warned after a second moving on into the kitchen realizing the conversation was lost and Ava had decided to move on from it. “I’m sure the ‘research’ can wait.”

“Sure thing Mom,” Ava muttered sarcastically and then ducked the hand that went to whack her upside the head from Sam.

Ava grinned shaking her head and rolling her eyes as she walked away and into the Library closing the door behind her leaving Sam to get his drink or whatever he was up for.

She sighed after a second reaching up and pulling the cross back out fiddling with it for a second before shaking her head and turning back to the books. She crossed the library easily pulling out whatever book her hand landed on, intending to read just to make her mind stop buzzing.

It was nearly an hour later, when she heard a scuffling outside the door. She paused looking up from the book, wondering if it might be Rumsfeld scratching at the door to be let in before the noise stopped and the door opened.

“Are you going to stay down here all night?” Dean’s gruff voice caught her off guard.

“Um, well, yeah I sorta planned on it…” Ava said after a second putting the book down and stepping around the desk, closer to the door where Dean still stood. “That a problem?”

Dean almost sounded like he sighed in frustration. “You need to sleep.”

“Sleep and I aren’t exactly the best of friends.” Ava admitted after a second or two. “Never have been. I’ll be fine.”

“That nightmare still bothering you?”

Ava flushed a little at this looking down at her bare feet instead of him. “Surprised you remember that.”

“I remember a lot of things people don’t give me credit for.” Dean shrugged a little and held a hand out to her. “Come to bed with me.”

Ava snapped back up to look at him at this and flushed bright red pursing her lips a little crossing her arms a little protectively over her chest. “I’m not that kinda girl, Dean.”

Dean hesitated before he flushed a little himself letting out a cough seeming to realize what she meant. She watched and relaxed a little when she noticed her statement caught him off guard.

“Not what I meant Ava.” Dean defended himself after a second. “Not that you aren’t well kinda a little bit gorgeous, I mean,” Dean floundered a little seeming to realize what he was saying out loud and she raised an eyebrow at this then he let out a deep breath seeming to recollect himself. “I meant actual sleep, bed’s big enough for us both so neither has to suffer a backache from sleeping on the couch or a chair.”

Ava paused not saying anything for a moment just studying Dean who was looking almost awkward standing in the door way waiting for her to say something.

“Okay,” Ava agreed after a second or two with a nod and stepped out of the library shutting the door softly behind her. “And thank you, I think there was a compliment wrapped up somewhere in there.”

“Welcome.” Dean said after a second and then Ava tilted her head towards the stairs indicating she’d follow him.

It wasn’t as difficult as she thought it would be settling down to sleep with someone just beside her in bed. Probably because she had done this before, multiple times actually, with her friend Alex when situations didn’t turn out ideal on trips, but this felt different somehow.

Her mind though instantly settled down when Dean lie down beside her and she rolled her eyes a little at the noticeable effort he was putting into keeping a space between them, even staying on top of the covers instead of under them.

“Dean, if this is going to be awkward, I’m going back down stairs.” Ava muttered after a second.

Finally, Dean relaxed with a huff and slipped down under the covers. There was a moment or two of shifting before the two finally got comfortable enough to fall asleep and Ava smiled as she drifted off listening to Dean snore softly beside her.

* * *

 


	4. Chapter VI

Dean woke blearily when he heard a small whimper of pain come from somewhere to his left and shifted wondering if Ava might be having that same nightmare she’d had last time.

He reached over fully intending to shake her awake and bring her back to the present but when he reached over, his hand met an empty space beside him. This instantly woke him up fully as he jerked around to see what exactly was going on.

After a second or two of worriedly searching the room his eyes finally landed on Ava. She was sitting backed into a corner her knees up and arms over her head as though trying to protect herself from something he couldn’t see.

Instantly he jumped up scrambling out of bed and towards her. Just before he reached her though there was air movement, as though something had just moved from in front of her and he stopped looking around cautiously. His inborn hunter’s instincts telling him there was something else in the room with them.

He didn’t see anything or feel anymore movement, but his attention was then instantly pulled to Ava when her head snapped up and she said something.

“Ava?” Dean questioned cautiously stepping a little closer. “Ava, it’s Dean, can you hear me?”

She said something again, but it wasn’t to him, she still wasn’t acknowledging him. He didn’t rightly recognize the language she was speaking in, but the tone was what was bothering him. It was broken, and scared, weak as though she were afraid to actually say anything. Ava wasn’t even really looking at him, she was looking off to the side where he’d felt the air movement before.

Finally, after a second she turned and looked directly at him. When she did, he noticed her eyes didn’t look right, they were bright, too bright to be human, and she wasn’t seeing him, she was looking right through him before she snarled at him defensively.

“Ava.” Dean said again this time putting his hands out in front of himself trying to make himself look like less of a threat. “Ava, you’ve gotta come back, c’mon, come back to me, Angel.”

Ava shifted a little defensively tucking herself deeper into the corner when he stepped closer to her before realizing she couldn’t back away any further and let out a little whimper of defeat. She then said something again, and it was in that same broken tone as before. This time though the words were repeated over and over almost as though she were begging for something then she let out another little cry of pain and ducked her head again.

Dean pursed his lips realizing she might not come out of this terror on her own. Just as he went to step forward to try and maybe work Ava out of the corner she let out another sound, this one sounding like a sob, and he forgot all about what he was going to try to do instantly stepping forward and reaching out for her.

“Ava!” Dean called again and this time she snapped up and looked at him. He let out a deep breath of relief when he realized her eyes were back to normal.

“Dean?” Ava questioned her voice a little rough but she was definitely herself again. “Dean what-?”

Dean stopped just in front of her before crouching down on his heals looking her over but also looking afraid to touch as his hands hesitantly landed on her arms where they were still folded on her knees. She didn’t stop him and he then just shifted pulling her out of the corner.

“I had a nightmare...” Ava said after a second her arms shaking in Dean’s light grip as she looked over at him and she realized what had happened. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t, Dean I’m sorry I shouldn’t have-”

“It’s alright Angel, happens to everyone.” Dean said still gently trying to pull her out of the corner.

“Aw, isn’t he sweet, trying to brush it off!” Lucifer’s voice was too loud in her ears. “Almost like he isn’t scared of you now that he’s seen the truth!” there was then a laugh. “Poor little Ava, can’t even control herself after a nightmare!”

Ava just closed her eyes and shook her head, trying in vain to shake away his voice. She almost moved to duck her head again and wrap her arms around her head but Dean’s gentle grip on them stopped that.

“I’m so sorry Dean, I can usually wake myself up before they get-”

“Ava, it’s fine.” Dean cut her off firmly before giving her a little tug to pull her up. “C’mon, up and out of the corner you get.”

“What did you see?” Ava questioned quietly once Dean had gotten her onto unsteady feet. She knew it had to of been bad since Dean was both avoiding her gaze and a little distant himself.

“Doesn’t matter,” Dean said shaking his head and giving her a little tug towards the bed.

“Dean,” Ava said this again reaching up and grabbing his arm to stop him. “What did you see, please?”

Dean sighed turning back and finally looking at her. He then reached out using one hand to cup her face and tilt it up towards him, and the other he used to brush her hair out of her face where it’d fallen.

“You should have said the nightmares had gotten worse.” Dean said after a second or two of just studying her face, still thankful it was her normal grey eyes that were looking back at him instead of those bright one’s he’d seen before. “If not to me, then Bobby,”

Suddenly a look of pure alarm crossed her face at the mention of Bobby and she went to step back away from him. He grabbed her wrist preventing that and she flinched but stood still.

“Don’t, please don’t tell Bobby.” Ava said after a second or two a slight panic to her voice. “I told him I had these under control. I haven’t had something like this happen in so long, please, he worries too much.”

Dean paused before giving her wrist a tug and pulled her into a tight hug. She tensed at first almost like she was going to push him away before she just slumped burying her nose in his chest with a little muffled cry of defeat.

There was a long silence as Dean let her cling and calm down, before he laughed a little gruffly and relaxed himself, letting his hands rest gently on her hips.

“Sam’s gonna be upset that you just took his quota of chick-flick moments this month.”

At that Ava laughed a little herself shaking her head. “I’m impressed you handled this so well on your own. That was one pretty intense chick-flick moment.”

“I do what I can.” Dean said and Ava laughed a little again.

“Thanks,” Ava muttered after a second before letting out a deep breath and glanced at the clock. It was 4am. “Well, I’ll let you get back to sleep. I think I’m gonna go for a run,”

Dean glanced at the clock himself and shook his head. “No use in trying to go back to sleep now, got my scheduled four hours.”

“You could try?” Ava suggested stepping back now and away from him looking for something to change into for a run. “I doubt you want to be going on a run with me and the other two won’t be up for a few hours yet,”

“A run doesn’t sound like too bad of an idea.” Dean said and Ava turned back to him with an eyebrow raised. “What?”

“What happened to exorcise not exercise?” Ava questioned one hand on her hip.

“All this fuss makes me think you just don’t want me along,” Dean said with a smirk. “Afraid you might get distracted by all this hotness?”

Ava snorted rolling her eyes and turning back to finding clothes. “Na, just afraid you might not be able to keep up.”

Dean made a slightly offended sound and Ava smiled grabbing what she needed and turning to step out of the room to get dressed.

~*~

An hour and a half later, had Dean bent over huffing to catch his breath in the front yard as Ava stood next to him a slight concern on her face. She watched him for a moment or two more panting lightly herself, before moving to pat the sweat on her forehead away with the bottom of her shirt.

“You alright there, Dean?” Ava questioned a little smile tugging at the side of her mouth. He waved a hand at her and she let out a little laugh.

“You do this every day?” Dean finally questioned when he caught his breath enough to stand up and face her.

“More often than not.” Ava shrugged dropping her shirt again when she noticed his gaze lingered on her bare patch of stomach. “Keeps my head clear and it helps me focus to help Bobby or whoever needs it,” she offered this explanation before she grinned. “But I’m usually gone quite a bit longer than this.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Dean waved the teasing off. “So how about we go get some breakfast? I’m starving.”

“I could just cook something,” Ava said tilting her head to the side a little.

“Yeah, but then you risk waking up the other two.” Dean said and Ava raised an eyebrow in question. “C’mon, I went for a run with you, indulge me in my want for dounuts.”

“I…okay,” Ava said after a second. “But shower first?”

“Agreed,” Dean said with a little laugh.

In less than another twenty minutes, the two had showered changed and were pulling out of Bobby’s front yard and out onto the highway. Dean, once they were far enough away from the house, reached over and turned up the radio before chancing a glace over at Ava to see if the music would bother her.

It didn’t seem to as she tapped out the rhythm of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck on the seat beside her, head turned into the breeze coming through the window she’d rolled down to enjoy the cooler morning air. She also didn’t seem to notice his attention watching the scenery pass as they headed towards town and she looked truly relaxed.

Just as Dean had turned back to the road ahead realizing he’d been almost staring at her, there was a buzz from his pocket before his cell began to ring. Ava looked over at this, raising an eyebrow in silent question as to who would be calling Dean this early.

“You mind pulling that out of my pocket?” Dean questioned more concentrated on the road ahead than he needed to be.

“Yeah, sure.” Ava agreed after only a second and turned to scoot over and reach into his pocket to pull out the phone.

He shifted a little towards her to make her task easier, and once she had it pulled out she looked at the screen to see if she could tell who was calling.

“It’s your dad.” Ava said after a beat then the phone stopped ringing in her palm. “Well, it was your dad, I’m sure he’ll call back.”

“I’m sure he will,” Dean grumbled sourly watching the road ahead.

Just as he said this the phone began ringing again. Ava looked down at it before looking over at Dean who hadn’t moved.

“Want me to answer it?” Ava questioned holding the phone up a little. “Might be important.”

“Doubt it.” Dean said after a second before pulling a hand away from the wheel and reaching for the phone. “Yeah?”

Ava pursed her lips a little before shifting to move back over to the passenger side seat, but a small pressure on her thigh stopped her. She looked down to see Dean’s hand there gently holding her in place. He’d tilted his head to hold his phone between his ear and shoulder to allow the hand to be free.

She looked at him for a second before just nodding and settling back in beside him, waiting out the phone call.

After a moment or two Ava realized John was doing most of the talking anyway as Dean would hum an agreement every once in a while, or would be cut off by John when he opened his mouth to say something.

“No Dad.” Dean finally said and Ava looked at him a raised eyebrow in slight confusion. “I’m not just going to leave him here, for Bobby to take care of. I’ll meet you there when I can.”

There was a louder sounding exclamation from the other side of the phone and Dean reached up pulling the phone away from his ear at this point. He made a face and Ava knew he was trying his best not to lose his temper.

“Right, bye.” Dean then just hung up on John and tossed the phone to the other side of Ava.

“Well, that sounded fun.” Ava said after a second or two. “He still on about that hunt in Arizona?”

Dean grunted and Ava decided to just drop the subject before shifting a little and leaning more into his side when he threw his arm up across the back of the seat. Ava then reached over turning the radio up letting the music fill the cabin instead of conversation realizing Dean didn’t want to talk.

After maybe ten minutes more, Ava relaxed enough that her eyes started to droop and before she knew it she had dozed off listening to AC/DC and the rumble of the Impala’s engine.

~*~

Ava woke with a little start when she felt a little jolt as the car ran over what felt was a little hole in the road and Dean muttered something about shitty roads under his breath.

“What happened to dounts?” Ava questioned after a second blinking and sitting up to look out the window not recognizing the scenery.

“Well, Angel you fell asleep, and I figured you might need it after your little episode last night so I just kept driving. Seemed to keep you relaxed.” Dean offered after a moment. “Besides, it’s not quite noon, could probably find a dounut place still open if we’re lucky.”

“Not quite noon?” Ava repeated a little shocked and running her fingers through her hair before looking over at him. “We left the house at like 6am, was I seriously out for nearly six hours?”

“Just about,” Dean confirmed and then smirked. “So, you hungry or what?”

At that Ava’s stomach rumbled an answer for her and she placed an arm over it before looking back up at Dean who laughed.

“Alright, so next town I see we’ll stop and find a diner.” Dean said and Ava nodded a little flush lighting up her face.

“Surprised Bobby hasn’t called.” Ava commented after a second before settling back into the passenger side seat instead of Dean this time. “Or Sam,”

“Bobby called while you were asleep,” Dean informed her, eyes on the road ahead instead of her. “Wondered where we’d gotten off to.”

“Well not like we planned on being gone this long.”

Dean didn’t say anything to that but shrugged a little as a small town came into sight. It took Dean less than another five minutes to find what seemed like the only diner in town and park along the street for them to step out of the car.

Ava did so before turning to close the door behind her but hesitated when she noticed another building just across the street from them.

It was an old building but it also looked to be in the process of being refurbished. It was a large brick building with two columns on the front framing the entry. It had large windows on what looked like both the first and second floor, and a heavy looking wooden door that was propped open just slightly.

Ava tilted her head to the side taking in the building when she noticed movement in the top left window. She watched a little closer to see if she could spot what caused the movement before she caught a quick glimpse of a little girl’s face before it disappeared.

“Ava!” Dean called and she instantly snapped her attention back to him. “Damn, where were you? I’ve called you like three times.”

“Oh, uh sorry,” Ava shook her head and closed the passenger side door. She glanced back at the window before stepping over and up to where Dean stood. “Lost in thought I guess.”

Dean didn’t say anything but glanced over at the building before he shrugged and turned to walk into the diner, Ava following him after a second or two.

The two slipped into a booth along the outside wall just beside a large window that looked back out over the street. There was a clear view of the Impala and the building just across from them.

Ava was still slightly distracted by the building when a bubbly young waitress greeted them and her attention was pulled back to the present.

“Hi! I’m Margie,” the girl introduced herself with a wide smile. “So nice to see some new faces! You guys just move to town?”

“We’re just passing through,” Dean said flashing a brilliant grin her way.

“Question,” Ava interrupted the two, and Dean gave her a little frown. “The building across the street, it looks quite old, how long has it been around?”

Margie paused for a second seeming confused at Ava’s sudden question.

“She’s a little bit of a history nut, sorry,” Dean said, trying to explain away Ava’s sudden interest in the building.

“Well far as I know it’s been around about as long as the city has been here.” Margie explained after a second. “It was the court house for a long time till they built another downtown. It was then bought by a young woman who converted the bottom floor into a bookstore, and the top into a home for she and her daughter. Then after about a year the young lady and her daughter disappeared and her fiancé killed himself, no one really knows why.” Margie paused with a little tilt of her head. “It was abandon for a long while then some blokes bought it and opened the bookstore back up and are slowly renovating it, seems to be taking longer than expected though since odd things keep happening to the workers.”

Ava raised her eyebrows at this and glanced at Dean who pursed his lips not looking too happy with Ava at that moment.

“But enough of that!” Margie said a grin appearing on her face again. “Here’s some menus and you guys take a minute to decide what you want, but can I get you something to drink?”

“Water,” Ava said after a beat.

“Coffee.” Dean said still looking at Ava.

Margie nodded before she set two menus down in front of them and turned to go get their drinks.

“No,” Dean said and Ava raised an eyebrow. “We’re here for lunch, that’s it,”

“Really? You’ll walk away from a job?” Ava questioned seeming to be surprised.

“There is no job.” Dean picked up a menu to look at instead of her.

“Sounds like it might be to me. C’mon Dean, there’s someone in that building.” Ava said reaching over and pulling the menu down so that he would look at her. “I saw her.”

“You have a hunch and a bad set of guesses.” Dean said letting the menu fall to the table.

“Can we at least check it out after lunch? Please?” Ava said crossing her arms and leaning them on the table. “C’mon if for nothing else, might find a book for Sam so he won’t be too pissed about us leaving without him.”

Dean paused before letting out a little sigh and picking the menu back up. “Fine,”

Ava grinned in triumph before picking up a menu herself and looking it over to figure out what she wanted to eat.

“Here we are,” Margie announced herself setting down the drinks for the two on the table in front of them. “So, you guys decided what you want?”

“Double bacon cheese burger for me.” Dean said handing her back the menu. “Extra onions,”

“Same,” Ava said after a beat and handing Margie the menu in her hand. “But no onions please,”

“Fries good with both?” Margie questioned jotting down the order on a little paper pad in her hand.

“Actually, can I get a side salad instead?” Ava questioned and Margie paused looking up at her and then grinned with a nod.

“So, I got two double bacon cheese burgers, one with extra onions one without, one with fries and one with a salad?” Margie questioned and when both nodded she put her pad back up. “House dressing good on the salad?”

“Sure,” Ava nodded and Margie turned to step away and put their order in.

“A salad?” Dean questioned teasingly.

“They’re actually sorta healthy for you Dean,” Ava said with a little smile taking a drink of her water. “You can’t live off greasy foods forever you know.”

“Challenge accepted.” Dean said with his trademark smirk as he took a drink of his coffee and Ava let out a little bark of a laugh.

“You’re going to die of a heart attack,”

“Not a bad way to go considering,”

Ava tilted her head in agreement to this before shrugging and turning to look out the window again.

“That building really has you, doesn’t it?” Dean questioned and she snapped back to him.

“Sorry,” Ava said after a second or two. “I just, I dunno it just,”

Ava seemed to be at a loss for words. Dean nodded and opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Margie’s reappearance with their food.

“Double bacon cheese burger no onions and a salad for the lady,” Margie said setting the two plates down in front of Ava. “And the double bacon cheese burger extra onions for the gentleman,”

“Thanks Margie,” Ava said with a little grin.

“No problem, and I’ll be right back with a refill for that coffee.” Margie flashed one last grin before turning on heal and walking away.

Both then turned their attention to the food and Ava almost laughed when Dean took a large bite of his burger and groaned in delight. She rolled her eyes at him before picking up her own burger and taking a bite. Margie returned only a moment later to refill Dean’s coffee and to set down a glass of water beside it for him.

“Everything tasting good?” Margie questioned and Ava nodded swallowing down her bite.

“It’s great Margie, thanks.”

“Okay, great let me know if you guys need anything,”

“We will,” Ava confirmed and Margie just turned on heal and walked away to greet the customers who had just walked in.

“So, what exactly are you hoping to run into in the bookstore?” Dean questioned through a mouthful of his burger pulling Ava’s attention back to him.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Ava reprimanded slightly and Dean just grinned and swallowed his food as Ava turned her attention to her salad. “Not really sure. Guess it’s just a curiosity for curiosity’s sake,”

Dean hummed in agreement to that and turned his attention back to his burger, effectively cutting off true conversation until they were both finished eating. Ava shook her head and followed his lead enjoying the burger, which turned out to be quite good.

“So you guys save any room for dessert?” Margie questioned appearing out of nowhere with a new glass of water for Ava. “Max just pulled an apple pie out of the oven in the back, if you guys want some?”

“Yes,” both said immediately and Margie grinned at this.

“One or two slices?” Margie questioned picking up the plates from their meal.

“As in one piece each or two pieces each?” Dean questioned a little caught off guard by the question.

“Two please?” Ava answered for him and Margie nodded before turning and walking back towards the kitchen. Ava then propped her head in her hand watching her walk away for a second before turning her attention back to Dean. “She thinks we’re a couple and was asking if we wanted to share a piece.”

Dean laughed a little at this. “Much as I like you Angel, I’m not sharing my pie.”

“You think I would?” Ava questioned eyebrow raised and a grin on her face. “Fresh baked apple pie? Not on your life.”

“I knew there was a reason I liked you.” Dean said with a little laugh.

Ava flushed a little at this comment and reached up tucking a stray piece of hair back behind her ear and Dean noticed.

“You know your kinda cute when you blush like that.” Dean said with a sly smirk then nonchalantly shrugged and followed up with: “Makes me wanna find out what else makes you blush like that,”

Ava blushed even harder at this when she realized he might have been flirting with her. She then pursed her lips a little and looked back up at him.

“Are you flirting with me, Winchester?”

At that Dean’s smirk turned downright evil and he leaned forward on the table opening his mouth to say something, but just as he did there was a throat cleared just beside them. Margie stood there with two pieces of pie looking between the two a little grin on her own face.

“Here we go.” Margie said as Dean leaned back and she set the plates between them. “Enjoy,”

“Thanks,” Ava said after a second and Margie nodded before turning and walking away.

Ava then promptly turned her attention to the dessert in front of her instead of Dean, who had surprisingly not dug into his pie yet.

“So-”

“Pie, Dean,” Ava said before finding a fork to take a bite of her pie with. “More important than you flirting with me.” Ava took a bite before she flushed a dark red and glanced up at him. “Not that I’m exactly objected to that either.”

Dean chuckled under his breath a little at her obvious discomfort, but turned his attention to the pie in front of him and all thoughts of flirting were gone with the first bite. Dean groaned before taking another bite and closing his eyes to savor it. Ava grinned looking over at him before rolling her eyes.

“Damn that’s good.” Dean said through the bite.

“Again, don’t talk with your mouth full,” Ava absently reminded him, taking another bite out of her own pie, which was admittedly very good.

Maybe ten minutes later both had finished their respective slices of pie and Dean had leaned back in his seat, head tilted back against the seat, with a satisfied grin on his face and a hand on his stomach. Ava smiled herself, enjoying the fact that the two could be relaxed for at least a few moments.

“I think that’s some of the best pie I’ve had in a long time,” Dean said after a second or two picking his head up and looking at Ava.

“It was pretty good,” Ava conceded then scrunched her eye brows a little in thought. “I think he used cinnamon in the crust, might have to try that next time I bake one.”

“You can bake?” Dean questioned sounding a little surprised.

“Yes,” Ava said after a beat. “I like pie, so I figured out how to bake them.” She paused again seeming to be thinking about something. “Bobby gave me Mrs. Singer’s recipe, and the cinnamon might be a nice touch, have to try it next time.”

“Bobby gave you Karen’s recipe?” Dean repeated a little shocked at this.

“Well, yeah,” Ava nodded tucking her hair behind her ear where it’d fallen. “Gave me her recipe book actually. Bobby’s not really a good cook to be honest, so I cook his favorites from it a lot when he’s home. It’s the least I can do considering,”

“You know Bobby doesn’t mind you staying with him.” Dean said and Ava nodded almost absently. “I’m serious. I think he likes having someone around, even if he doesn’t admit it.”

“Maybe so,” Ava shrugged and Dean realized the turn in conversation was making her a little uncomfortable.

“So, why don’t you head over to your bookstore and I’ll catch the tab.” Dean said jerking a thumb in the direction of the building to change the subject. “Get this hunch of yours out of the way.”

“I promise I’ll find a book that’ll keep Sam from being too mad at us.” Ava said with a smile and both moved to get up.

Dean turned to find Margie and Ava turned and walked on out of the diner. She walked on out and over to where the Impala waited for them. She walked on by it running her fingers along the smooth metal absently until she came to her bumper and hesitated. Ava looked up and over at the building and back to the window where she seen someone before.

For a second there was nothing before Ava saw the same little girl as before looking back at her out of the window. This time though she didn’t disappear as soon as Ava noticed her. She tilted her head a little and watched Ava seeming to realize Ava could see her. She then smiled and waved her over towards the shop and Ava grinned a little hand leaving the Impala, being tucked in her pocket as she walked over.

Ava stepped up to the porch of the bookstore looking around taking in the details of said building. As she stepped on towards the door though the door opened on its own for her and she heard a small girl’s giggle.

Ava smiled a little stepping on inside looking around yet again to maybe try and spot the young girl. Inside she only saw rows of books stacked on her left and right with a big oak desk just straight ahead of her.

“Hello?” Ava questioned stepping on up towards the desk. “Hello?”

There was a little clatter to her left and Ava turned to catch a small glimpse of a dress flitting on around the shelf of books and out of sight. She hesitated before she heard the little girl giggle again and smiled.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Ava muttered deciding if she was going to find anything out about who was haunting the place she might as well play along with the young spirit.

She stepped on around the corner picking up the book that the ghost had pulled down off the shelf and looking at the spine.

“Alphabet of Angels,” Ava read out loud to herself before standing on up and turning to place the book back up on its shelf. “Not one for religion try again, Missy.”

There was a giggle in response to this and then she heard another book fall. Ava stepped forward rounding another stack of books to try and find what fell. She paused when she looked up to spot Lucifer standing at the end of the row from her scowling and pointing to the book that had fallen.

As Ava stepped up to pick the book up, Lucifer disappeared again and Ava turned her attention to said book.

“No wonder he was scowling,” Ava muttered. The book she held was a Bible, written in what looked to be Hebrew. “Starting to see a theme here though,”

Ava heard another giggle and then a gasp and turned instantly to look behind her to see what was going on. Instead of the little girl that she was expecting, there was a dark silhouette of a man standing there. Ava instantly took a step back holding the book tightly just in case she needed to throw it as a distraction.

“You shouldn’t be here.” The silhouette growled at her and Ava suddenly couldn’t seem to catch her breath correctly and a dark feeling settled into her chest. “You don’t belong here!”

“Ava!” someone called to her left and she realized that was Dean’s voice but couldn’t find it in herself to move.

Ava then felt a freezing cold hand on her leg and looked down to finally spot the little ghost girl she had been playing with earlier.

“Don’t leave us here! Help us please!” the little girl whispered before she was gone, leaving what felt like a burn on Ava’s leg.

“Ava!” Dean’s voice was closer this time.

Just as she had looked back up from the little girl, the man let out a roar of rage and Ava felt something slam into her chest picking her up off of her feet and slamming her back into the wall behind her. The last thing she remembered was hearing Dean shout again and a woman’s scream piercing through all of it, before everything went black.

* * *

 


	5. Chapter V

Ava groaned then reached up trying to brush away what felt like hands gently tracing across her face and through her hair. There was then a little pressure on the back of her head like whoever it was, was checking for a concussion. 

“I’m fine,” Ava said again trying to brush away hands and blinked trying to focus. “I’m fine, quit fussing Dean,”

But when she finally focused on who was trying to wake her up it wasn’t Dean’s face she saw intently looking her over for injuries. It was faded grey eyes and an achingly familiar face with a soft expression that she’d seen  somewhere  before, but just couldn’t quite place. She then felt a wash of warmth flush through her and everything that was hurting her from the throw stopped. 

“Who-?”

“Ava, you okay?” Dean’s voice broke through cutting her off and the man smiled before he and his hands were gone replaced by Dean’s. 

“I’m fine.” Ava muttered after a second pushing herself up with a little groan. “Son of a bitch plays dirty, just caught me off guard is all.” 

“Hey! Are you two okay?” someone else questioned and there was a flurry of footsteps behind them. 

“Yeah, we’re fine.” Ava said before taking Dean’s offered hand to pull her up. 

“Are you sure?” the man who was now in view questioned not looking convinced. “I saw you hit that wall pretty hard, you could have a concussion!”

“I’m fine,” Ava reiterated. “And you are?”

“Abram,” the man finally said after looking Ava over himself. “I’m the owner of Bookend,”

Ava nodded, assuming the bookshop they were standing in was the Bookend he was talking about. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of movement and turned slightly to see the little girl from earlier peaking around a stack to look at them. Ava smiled a little and turned her attention back to Abram. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to call a doctor or something?” Abram was asking and took a little step towards Ava. 

“I’m sure.” Ava nodded hesitating as she shifted a little closer to Dean who had also seemed to spot the little girl at the end of the stacks. “I promise I won’t cause any further trouble to you, I-”

“He threw you against the  wall didn’t he?” Abram questioned cutting Ava off, eyes squinted as he waited for a reaction. 

“Excuse me?” Dean interrupted sharply, his focus now back to Ava and Abram instead of the little girl. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you’re asking,” Ava said putting a hand on Dean’s arm to keep him from stepping forward. “Dean would never-”

“I don’t mean him,” Abram said motioning vaguely to Dean. “I meant the,” Abram paused before he whispered: “ _ ghost _ ,” 

Ava just looked at Abram for a second taking in the lighter look of excitement in his eyes as he  ask this question. Just as she opened her mouth to say something someone else came down the steps to their left. 

“Abram, you’d best not be discouraging our business again with ghost stories.” Someone said before a man appeared behind Abram. “Hello,”

“Hello,” Ava said with a little smile at him. 

“It threw her against the wall, Conner!” Abram said turning around to face him. “Like picked her up off her feet and threw her back hard enough she passed out! We can’t keep just keep ignoring him if he’s hurting people!”

“Are you alright?” Conner said his gaze shifting from Abram to Ava. 

“I’m fine.” Ava assured him with a nod. Dean then shifted nudging Ava and tilting his head slightly down a row. 

Ava shifted to look as the two men in front of them started to argue. The little girl ghost had gotten a little closer avidly watching Ava as she did. Just behind her was a partial form of a woman also watching Ava, a very sad look on her face and just behind the woman stood Lucifer, arms crossed a deep scowl on his face. 

Just as Ava shifted to step a little  more forward Lucifer disappeared, and in his place four children appeared peering around the stacks at them. Dean seemed to notice them as well and frowned deeply arms crossing when Ava glanced over at him.

Just as Dean opened his mouth to say something to Abram and Conner his phone began to ring and all three turned to him. 

“It’s Sam,” Dean explained before answering the call and stepping away from them with a little pat on Ava’s shoulder. 

As soon as Dean moved all  six ghost disappeared as though startled. Ava pursed her lips when Lucifer appeared again between the stacks arms crossed. He then held his hands up holding up seven fingers. Ava’s eyebrows raised at this before she quickly covered her shock turning back to Abram and Conner. 

“Sorry, um I have to go,” Ava finally managed out trying to cover her surprise. “Dean’s my ride,”

“Wait! We didn’t catch your name?” Abram questioned and Ava paused as she had already turned to walk off. 

“Ava,” Ava said and waved to them as she stepped out of the building and across the street. 

Dean was waiting for her by the Impala and just as she had stepped off the curb into the street there was a shout from behind her. She paused stepping back up on the sidewalk and turning to see Abram running out towards her. 

“Ava!” he said and then smiled as he noticed she was waiting for him. “Hey, the least we can do is set you guys up with a room if you’re staying here in town,”

“Oh I, er dunno if Dean wants to stay or head on back home.” Ava hesitated gaze flicking over to Dean who was still talking to Sam, but he glanced over at her and nodded a little. “But, where would you suggest if we did stay?”

“There’s a little roadside motel down the street called Connie’s Place.” Abram said pointing in the direction of the place he spoke of. “Just tell Connie to send me and Conner the bill. Stay as long as you need to  to heal up from that throw.” 

“Abram, I promise I’m fine.” Ava said with a little smile. “But thank you,”

“No problem.” Abram smiled brightly. “I hope to see you around again Ava.”

“I’ll be back to find a book for a good friend of mine before we leave.” Ava said and Abram nodded. 

“I’ll keep an eye out for one.”

“Thanks,” Ava said and then Dean waved her on over to the Impala. “Looks like I’ve gotta go, thanks for well, everything,”

Abram just nodded and Ava stepped away walking back across the street next to Dean who had just hung up with Sam. 

“He’s only slightly pissed that we left without him.” Dean informed Ava who grinned. 

“Oops,” Ava shrugged and Dean laughed. “So, you wanna stay and figure this out, or head back?”

“Guess it wouldn’t hurt to stay a day or two.” It was then Dean’s turn to shrug. 

“Alright then Abram  said something about a roadside motel down the street,” Ava tilted her head in that direction. “Said it was called Connie’s Place, I’m kinda figuring it might be the only place to stay in this little town.”

“ Well, that sounds just like our type of place, doesn’t it ?”

Ava grinned with a little nod and then moved stepping around to the other side of the Impala to slip into the passenger side seat. 

“But first, can we go to the library , if there is a library here ?” Ava questioned when he slid down into the seat next to her. “I want to see if I can get a history of this place,”

Dean rolled his eyes with a little groan but nodded and turned to start the Impala.

~*~

Later that evening, Ava stepped out of the bathroom from taking a shower and glanced around at the little room they had rented for the  next few  night s . 

On a small table  by a window was a pile of books and notes Ava had been working on, and to its right was Dean. He was snoring softly stretched out on one of the two queen beds, the one closest to the door, the TV on the wall still playing quietly a bottle of whiskey set out beside him. 

Ava laughed a little at this and stepped over to the duffle Dean had brought in from the Impala and decided to steal a shirt from it to sleep in since she didn’t have any clothing of her own. She paused making sure Dean was still asleep before she dropped her towel and pulled on an older looking Led-Zeppelin tee. It completely swamped her, half falling off her shoulder and hanging down to her mid-thigh.

“I feel like a kid compared to these two giants.” Ava muttered under her breath before bending down to pick up her towel. 

“I always did like that tee.” Dean’s gruff voice startled her and she snapped up and around to see him still lounging on the bed but looking at her instead of the TV. “Looks better on you though,”

“How long have you been awake?” Ava asked a little defensively. 

“Long enough,” Dean said with a smirk. “You shouldn’t let your guard down so easily, Angel, or am I the only one lucky enough that you to drop it for?”

Ava pursed her lips at this and turned promptly walking back into the bathroom to put away her towel and to try and get rid of her blush. 

“I have to say , I like you like this.” Dean’s voice from behind her startled her and she quickly turned back around to find him leaning against the doorframe. She hadn’t been expecting the other to follow her. “It’s almost cute seeing you so off guard.”

“Um well,” 

Ava had no true response to this instead just backed up against the sink counter when he stepped forward crowding up into her space. She reached back putting a hand on the sink counter to brace herself and looked up at him. 

“I will have to say though,” Dean then stepped right on up to her leaning forward to place his own hands on either side of her on the counter, essentially pinning her between him and the counter. “As much as I like seeing you in my shirt,” Ava moved pushing back against the counter a little more, her face now a vivid red of embarrassment. “I think I’d like seeing it thrown on the bedroom floor more.”

“Dean,” Ava said with what almost sounded like a whine. 

She moved her hands and curled them in his shirt against his chest, more of a brace to keep some space between them.  She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do at that point, whether she should push him away or pull him closer. She could smell the slight whiff of whiskey on his breath and knew he wasn’t exactly clear headed, but she also knew he handled his alcohol better than anyone she’d ever known, besides Bobby. 

Ava hesitated only for a second or two more, before  making up her mind and uncurling one hand to reach  down to grab ahold of the  bottom of his shirt and give it a little experimental tug upwards . Dean grinned, leaning in to brush a soft kiss across her lips before  moving away from her only slightly  to remove the offending garment. He  then moved right back into her space pulling her up into a  proper  kiss. Ava reached up , wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down further into the kiss. Dean moved to place his hands under her thighs, clearly intending to pick her up and place her on the counter, when a cough broke through and distracted Ava.

“Someone’s coming,” Lucifer’s voice was quiet and she glanced over to see him standing in the bathroom doorway arms crossed, then there was a loud knocking on the door to their room. 

“Who the fuck?” Dean said this with a growl turning back towards the door. Both just looked  towards the door for a second caught off guard before there was another loud knock. 

“Go. ” Ava said after a second more , still panting lightly and then gave him a little push towards the door. “ Go see who it is, might be important this late at night.  I’m not really dressed to answer the door, I’ve gotta find some pants.”

Dean grinned at this turning to answer the door, not even bothering to find his  lost  shirt, pulling the bathroom door closed behind him. Ava stood there still leaned against the counter trying to find her breath for a moment after he left. 

Ava paused before she groaned a little looking up at the ceiling trying to get her heart to slow back down to a normal pace. She then just shook her head, ignoring the heat that had started to curl in her belly and turned to find her jeans that she’d left in here when she’d taken a shower. 

“Well that was unfortunate timing,” Lucifer said and Ava turned to see him sitting on the counter where she’d just been leaning. 

“And you’re a peeping tom,” Ava bit back. “Privacy  _ is _ a thing you know,”

Lucifer grinned still sitting on the counter as she turned back to her jeans that she had just kicked. She easily slipped into them before turning and opening the door to step back into the room to see what was going on leaving Lucifer there. 

Abram sat on the bed Dean had been lounging in earlier , Conner standing just next to him both extremely pale. Conner and Dean were talking, Dean standing arms crossed a rather gruff look on his face as he listened to the man speaking. Abram shifted to look at her when the door opened and that’s when she saw the small cut on his forehead. 

“What happened?” Ava demanded instantly stepping up and over to Abram to inspect the cut and grab something to stop the bleeding. 

“When you guys left this  afternoon the activity picked up and then turned pretty violent towards us.” Abram explained and then winced as Ava cleaned out the cut. “I got hit with a vase he decided to throw at us as we were trying to leave.” 

“Why’d you decide to come and find us?” Ava questioned standing back up after she’d put a Band-Aid on Abram’s cut. 

“Just a hunch,” Abram admitted after a second. “You seemed like you’d dealt with this type thing before with how calm you were…” Abram paused looking up at Ava who had glanced at Dean. “I’m sorry…that sounds stupid hearing it now.”

“No,” Dean shook his head with a little sigh. “You aren’t exactly wrong.”

“We uh, yeah,” Ava hesitated  shifting a little on her feet uncomfortable. “Well it’s really odd to explain but there are things that go bump in the night, we’re just the people who bump back,”

“I told you!” Abram exclaimed at Conner who shook his head. He then turned back to Ava and Dean a bright excitement written on his face. “So, what’re we going to do?”

“ _ We _ aren’t doing anything.” Dean said gruffly and turned to Ava who had already stepped back over to her books. “You two are going to get a room for the night, where it’s safe and Ava and I will figure out how to get rid of your guest.”

Abram opened his mouth to protest but Conner put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a little squeeze to stop the argument. 

“Can we help in any way then?” Conner questioned, gaze on Ava whose lips were pursed and concentrated on a stack of papers in her hands. 

Ava glanced over at Dean who shook his head at her but she shrugged and then looked over at Conner anyway. 

“Do you know any history of the building? Names of the owners? Dates?” Ava questioned and Dean rolled his eyes. “I can’t find a whole lot about well anything,”

“His name was Cain  Arterberry , his fiancé’s name was Joanna Porter and her daughter’s name was Abigail Porter and there  _ is _ an old rumor of why Cain killed himself.” Abram answered and Ava’s gaze flicked over to him. She motioned for him to continue despite the disapproving sound from Dean as she jotted down the names given. “Well he was supposedly a person of high interest in a few disappearances around town.”

“Disappearances of who?” Ava questioned mind instantly snapping to the four children they’d seen in the stacks. 

“There were four children that went missing around the time he moved to town, all within three weeks of each other and him showing up.” Conner spoke this time and Ava glanced at Dean who seemed to be putting the pieces together as quickly as she was. “The kids were never found and soon after that is when Joanna and Abigail disappeared and Cain killed himself, or so they say.” 

“ So they say?” Dean repeated as Ava stood up away from the books. 

“Buddy boy didn’t kill himself,” Lucifer’s voice was just in Ava’s ear and she almost jumped at the closeness. 

Ava then spotted movement just beside her and Lucifer’s hand brushed across the papers scattering them across the table and onto the floor just at her feet. He then laughed and vanished leaving a scowling Ava and a shocked Abram and Conner. 

“Those papers moved without being touched…” Abram said after a second. 

“I must have left the window open a smidge,” Ava explained away easily moving to pick up the pages that had made it to the floor. “So, you don’t think Cain killed himself?”

“I started  looking into it when we bought the place after hearing some rumors.” Conner confessed and shrugged when Abram turned his shocked look to him. “He was shot in the head, but the angle that the shot was placed doesn’t make sense to him doing it himself. It would be too awkward and prone to miss.”

“You think someone shot him?” Dean questioned before Ava could. 

“Bingo!” Lucifer’s voice was off to the left and a lamp flicked off beside where Ava had heard the voice. “Give a prize to the man! I do remember him mentioning throwing his shirt to the floor, Ava? Be a good sport now!” 

Ava flushed bright red at this and crumpled up the papers in her hand in reflex to this. Abram noticed and raised an eyebrow in question but didn’t say anything. 

“I think someone found out the truth,” Conner said seeming to ignore Ava’s odd responses in favor of watching Dean. 

“Truth being?” Ava questioned this time trying to distract herself from Lucifer. 

“You think Cain killed the kids.” Dean said flatly and Abram gasp. “And the cops just closed the case to cover for who shot him,”

“Wow he sure is on top of this!” Lucifer said this time his voice cam e from just behind Ava and she felt a soft brush across her lower back before there was pressure on her hips as though they had been gripped in his hands. “You really should reward him, Ava! So vigilant!”

Ava made a little sound of discomfort before she moved abruptly dislodging the pressure. She coughed a little when everyone’s gaze shot to her and she stepped around Dean to grab a bottle of water she had left on the dresser earlier. Dean frowned when he noticed the dark red flush that was covering her face, but to her relief turned back to Conner and Abram pulling attention away from her. 

“It’s only speculation.” Conner shrugged. “Can’t really be certain.”

“Well do you have a theory on Joanna and Abigail?” Ava questioned from where she was leaning against the dresser now water bottle in hand. 

“I don’t think they ever left town.” Conner admitted and Ava tilted her head at this. 

“ So last question,” Ava said tilting her water bottle slightly to the left in thought. “With you guys fixing the place up, did the activity get  er more concentrated in a certain spot?”

“The basement,” Abram answered for Conner. “When we started clearing it out was when the activity started.”

Ava glanced at Dean who had also glanced at her. She raised an eyebrow in silent question and for that she got a head tilt and a nod. Ava pursed her lips before taking the water bottle and tapping her lips with it in thought. 

“Well, c’mon we need to get you guys a room,” Dean said and Ava looked back over at him bumped out of her train of thought. “Cause you’re not staying here.”

“C’mon, I’ll walk with you down to the office.” Ava said setting her water bottle back down on the dresser. She needed to get out of the room for a few minutes.

“Thanks,” Abram said with a brilliant grin and stepped over to Ava linking arms with her. 

“Thanks for not just turning us away,” Conner said solemnly to Dean who nodded and waved the other man off. 

“Be back in a minute, Dean.” Ava said as Abram pulled her out the door ahead of Conner. 

The three of them walked quietly down to the office but as soon as Conner had stepped inside and the door closed behind him Abram turned his attention to Ava. 

“That wasn’t a breeze that knocked those papers off.” Abram said and Ava tensed almost feeling his questions coming. “There’s no wind out here, and the lamp? And your sudden movements around the room? What was all that about?”

“You’re far too observant, Abram,” Ava muttered before she sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s a pretty complicated answer to be honest, but let’s just say I’m haunted myself.” 

There as a little laugh off to Ava’s right from Lucifer at her explanation and she cross her arms as  Abram just looked at her as though trying to decide if her answer was enough to satisfy his curiosity. Just as he opened his mouth to ask something else Conner reappeared at his side. 

“Only room left was the one just beside yours.” Conner said holding up the keys. “So, I guess we’ll walk you back down?” 

“ Actually, that would be welcome, thank you,” Ava said with a little smile realizing she had left the room without a weapon of any sort. 

Abram smiled before the three headed back down towards the rooms. Once they had reached the door that Conner had keys to , he tossed them to Abram.

“I’ll be in in a few, Love.” Conner explained as Abram caught the keys. 

“That’s a bad habit, Dear,” Abram muttered before turning and unlocking the door. 

Conner smiled shaking his head, before pulling out a small box from his pocket along with a lighter. He pulled out a cigarette and light it before turning to Ava and offering her the box.

“Want one?” Conner questioned as the door behind them closed. 

Ava hesitated for only a second or two before taking the offer and allowing Conner to light her cigarette for her. 

Ava took a s low hit off the cigarette smiling at the familiar taste that smoking brought to her lips before closing her eyes to exhale the smoke. 

It had been a long time since she had even thought to touch a cigarette, last time being right after Bobby had almost died from that hunt in Louisiana and the enchantress. Bobby frowned on the habit and she made it a point to try and not smoke around him, even if she only did so when she was for the most part drunk or highly stressed out, she tried not to indulge the habit. 

“Better?” Conner questioned exhaling his own small puff of smoke. 

“So much.” Ava muttered quietly taking another hit. 

“Thought you might need a little something.” Conner laughed a little. “You were just a little tense.”

Ava snorted flicking her ashes and then leaning against a post that was just beside her to hold up the awning of the second floor. 

“Yeah , little bit.” Ava conceded then turned her focus back to Conner who was looking out over the parking lot hand in his pocket. “Thanks,”

“No problem,” Conner shrugged and there was a silence between the two for a moment as they listened to everything going on around them. “So, can I ask you something?”

“Go for it,” Ava said with a shrug. 

“You and Dean,” Conner started and Ava’s gaze snapped back up to him. “You guys just travel around looking for these type,  er situations?”

Ava let out a little breath relieved he didn’t ask what she thought he was going to. She shifted  looking back out to the parking lot and  her gaze landed on the Impala parked just in front of their door. 

“Actually, this is the  first time Dean and I will be handling a  _ situation _ together.” Ava admitted after a second. “We were honestly just in town for lunch when the bookstore caught my attention.” Ava paused again taking the last hit from her cigarette. “Usually I travel either with Bobby, or my friend Alex when I need a partner and he usually travels with his dad or little brother.”

“Sounds like you’ve been doing this a long time,” Conner said casually as Ava flicked away her stub into the parking lot. 

“Yeah,” Ava said vaguely. “Been doing this since I was seven or eight years old, so I guess I have been doing this for a long time...”

“Seven or eight? Who in their right minds puts a  _ child _ in this type of situation?” Conner demanded  after she said this . 

“ Same type who abandon their kid on the street.” Ava muttered mostly to herself as she ran her fingers through her hair. 

Conner hesitated, and all his anger he had felt rushed away when he heard the mutter from Ava. He studied her for a second as she shrugged shaking her head. 

“Ava, how old are you?” Conner questioned quietly. “You can’t be more than what eighteen?”

“Old enough to handle a few things that go bump in the night.” Ava said with a little laugh. “I was lucky and had a really good friend who taught me everything I know.”

“Had?” Conner questioned lightly. 

“He died a few years back.” Ava explained tightly. “Bad miscalculation in a bad situation.”

Conner paused at this, lips a little pursed and then tossed his own cigarette stub away before speaking again: “Sorry, those were some pretty personal questions.”

“It’s fine.” Ava brushed the concern away with a little vague motion. “Most people ask more questions about what we hunt when they find out, little refreshing to have someone ask the more humanistic questions.” 

Conner hesitated again before letting out a deep breath and turning back to  head inside the room with Abram. After a second or two Ava pushed herself up from the post and turned to head back to her own roo m as well.

“Oh, hang on,” Conner said before reaching into his pocket and pulling something out. He reached over to hand Ava said object, which turned out to be a key. “Key to Bookend, that way you can get in and out as you need to.”

Ava took the key after a second tucking it into her pocket. “Thanks, that’ll help quite a bit.”

“No problem,” Conner said with a shrug. “Just appreciate you guy’s help.”

“Guess it’s a good thing I was so hungry for lunch this afternoon,” Ava joked and Conner laughed a little and waved to her as he opened the door. 

“Good night Ava,”

“Night, Conner.” 

Ava then was met with silence as their door clicked shut. She stood there for a moment or two hesitating at her own door. She wasn’t sure she wanted to step inside and deal with the tension that would probably come from them being interrupted earlier. 

Finally making up her mind Ava just let out a deep breath and reached for the doorknob to let herself into the room. When she stepped inside all was quiet and the only light to be found was from the glow of the TV that was still on. 

Dean was already snoring again, but this time halfway under his covers. One leg was out foot dangling off the side and he lay on his stomach. Ava shook her head at this and smiled a little closin g the door silently behind her checking to make sure the salt lines were still intact as she did.

She glanced at the table where all her books were and debated on just gabbing one and maybe stepping into the bathroom to read so she wouldn’t wake Dean. Just as she had moved the snoring from Dean stopped and she froze. 

“No more research tonight.” Dean ordered gruffly. “Loose the jeans and come to bed.” Ava hesitated at that and turned bright red. “Or climb into the other bed, I don’t care, just no more reading. Sleep.”

Ava stood there for a second or two before Dean flipped over and looked at her. She pursed her lips after a second before sighing in defeat and walking around to the other side of the bed. She hesitated again before rolling her eyes at herself and shimmied out of her jeans and slipped down under the covers. 

She lay there for a second or two before shifting and trying to find a comfortable position so that she could attempt to sleep. The main thing keeping her awake at this point was worry of having another nightmare like she had the previous night. 

After about five minutes of this Dean grumbled something under his breath sounding irritated and rolled over again banding an arm around her waist and pulling her back snuggly against his chest. 

“Go. To. Sleep.” Dean muttered into her hair. “You’re not gonna have another nightmare, and if you do I’ll wake you up, okay? Just stop thinking about it and sleep.”

“I just-”

“No,” Dean cut her off. “Go to sleep. You gotta be focused enough to get rid of these ghosts. I don’t need a sleep deprived liability.”

Ava made a slight noise but otherwise didn’t argue sighing and letting herself relax back and follow Dean’s order to try and sleep. 


	6. Chapter VI

Ava groaned stretching out her legs and blinking blurrily over at the alarm clock on the desk between the two beds. She had figured it would be early like it always was when she woke up, but when she read the time she would have jolted up and into a sitting position if an arm banded around her waist didn’t stop her. 

“Told you that’d you’d sleep just fine.”  Dean’s mumbled voice came from behind her. 

“It’s 11:30!” Ava exclaimed shifting trying to get out of his grip. “We should have been up hours ago.”

“Ava.” Dean grumbled before tightening his grip. 

“Dean, let me go.” Ava trying again to move his arm. “We need to get up and get going.” 

“I have  _ never _ had a woman so eager to get out of bed with me.” Dean finally said and Ava flushed bright red. “We should really do something to change that,”

“ _ Dean _ ,” Ava’s voice was half a warning half a whine as she reached down to grab hold of his wrist where his hand had splayed across her stomach. “We have a job to do,” 

He almost blatantly ignored her and her grip on his wrist just opting to use the hand to pull her back and snug against him. She tensed a little at this  and  her grip on his wrist became tighter . “Relax Angel.” Dean muttered instantly feeling the tension and placing a soft kiss on her shoulder where the shirt had twisted down during the night. “You act like you’re never been touched before.”

Ava if possible turned an even darker shade of red at this before Dean finally noticed her reactions to said situation. He suddenly moved away from her like he was burned and cursed under his breath. 

He then got up and out of the bed quickly and Ava followed his lead trying to put space between them for the moment. Ava reached down snatching her jeans back off the floor and sliding into them before turning to face Dean.

“Dude, you’re a  _ virgin _ ?” Dean almost downright demanded. “Why the  _ hell _ haven’t you said anything? Why didn’t you say anything last night?”

“What the hell was I supposed to say?” Ava bit back becoming a little upset with his raise of voice and tone. “Oh! Hey Dean, just FYI if this is a little awkward don’t worry because I’m a virgin?”

“You’re nineteen,” Dean said after a second  lowering  his voice slightly noticing how it was bothering Ava. “You’ve seriously never…?”

Dean tapered off a little awkwardly and shifted on his feet a little. Ava’s face was still bright red before she crossed her arms over her chest in a little protective movement. 

“Never found anyone it felt right with…” Ava admitted after a second looking down instead of at Dean unable to meet his eyes. “Hunter’s lifestyle doesn’t exactly lend itself to romance of any sort but well, I’d like to have that with someone of my choice not convenience. I know that probably sounds stupid…” Ava sighed before reaching up and brushing her hand through her hair. “I’m just, gonna change and then we can start working on finding the kids, Joanna and Abigail,”

Ava moved walking around him towards the bathroom but was stopped by a hand gently grabbing her arm, and she paused waiting for him to say something. 

“Sorry…I shouldn’t have reacted like that. It’s not like it’s a bad thing.” Dean said after a second or two. “Just, not what I was expecting. Almost feels like I took advantage of you now…”

Ava smiled, rolling her eyes. “Dean, just because I haven’t had actual sex doesn’t mean I haven’t done other things, not quite as innocent as the word virgin implies. I knew what was happening, and didn’t stop you. You just caught me off guard this morning.”

 “Now that’s got me all kinds of curious.” Dean said smirk back on his face. 

“Maybe I’ll show you sometime,” Ava smirked herself before pulling her arm out of his grip and heading on towards the bathroom. “But first, mind taking me back to library? I want to look for a little bit more information now that I have names, I don’t like walking in blind.”

“Right,” Dean chuckled a little under his breath before turning to get dressed himself. 

Ava stepped back out of the bathroom a moment or two later, still wearing Dean’s shirt but now it was tied off on her hip so that it didn’t fall to her thighs. She was in the process of pulling her hair up into a messy tumble on her head when she noticed Dean watching her from where he’d sat to pull on his boots. She paused a bobby pin between her lips as she looked at him an eyebrow raised in question. 

“Nothing,” Dean said but Ava’s expression obviously stated she didn’t believe him. “Just thinking you still look good in my shirt.”

Ava shook her head pulling her bobby pin from her lips and slipped it up in her hair before turning to find her own boots to pull on. 

“C’mon, let’s go.” Ava said with a little smile. 

Dean shook his head but caught his keys when she tossed them to him and stood to follow her out of the room.

~*~

“Earth to Ava,” someone said and Ava snapped up to spot Dean standing just in front of her two cups of hot coffee in his hands. “Anything interesting in that book you’re so buried in?”

“Um, well nothing that I think is really important,” Ava said after a beat and he sat in front of her pushing a cup of coffee towards her. “Found just some information about Cain. Turns out he had a mother who died a few days before he did.”

“Is that who you’re staring at so hard?” Dean teased and Ava rolled her eyes and flipped the book around for him to see. 

“Well she  _ is _ gorgeous.” Ava deadpanned pointing the woman out. “Maybe I just got distracted.”

Dean made a funny noise in the back of his throat at this comment and just stared at Ava for a moment or two. She snorted at this and almost forcefully tapped the book again to move his attention from her face to the book. Dean took in the woman’s picture on the page for a second before looking back up at Ava. 

“She doesn’t look old enough to be anyone’s mother.” Dean said and Ava shrugged. 

“Maybe it’s a picture of her when she was younger.” Ava said pursing her lips in thought for a second. “But I was more distracted by the necklace than her pretty face, I just feel like I’ve seen it before.”

“Just looks like a gaudy piece of jewelry to me.” Dean shrugged taking a drink of his coffee before looking at Ava and hesitantly continued with: “Unless you like stuff like that?”

“I mean it is kinda pretty.” Ava said looking back at the picture then to Dean who had a little worried look on his face. “Dean, I’m  _ joking _ ! That’s not,  _ no _ .” Ava laughed a little. “No.”

Dean looked slightly relieved that Ava wasn’t offended and was laughing instead. She shook her head and closed the book. She then reached over and picked up her coffee and took a drink before propping her head in her hand. 

“So, thanks for the coffee.” Ava raised the cup. 

“No problem.” 

Dean kicked his foot up bracing it on the table and leaning his chair back relaxing his own cup in his hands. Ava watched him for a second enjoying at the fact that he was so relaxed with his coffee and the quiet of the admittedly abandoned library. 

“Makes quite the handsome figure, doesn’t he?” Lucifer’s voice was just beside her and she glanced to see him sitting in the empty chair beside her. “All those hunting built muscles, all that strength and charm, could just pick you-”

For the first time in her life, Ava was relieved when her phone began to ring cutting Lucifer off in the middle of his sentence. Dean glanced at her and raised an eyebrow at the little red tinge to her face as she answered her phone. 

“Hey King.” Ava said after a second or two. “Sorry I haven’t called, got caught up with something else.” 

Ava paused again running her fingers through her hair turning her full attention to the phone call and away from Dean trying to clear off her blush. 

“I mean seriously? Those big  _ strong _ hands,” Lucifer’s voice came again in her other ear in a soft whisper.  “Imagine what all they could do,”

“No, I didn’t get much of a chance to look for any information,” Ava said her face steadily getting more and more red. She was trying in vain to keep the imagines Lucifer was trying to place out of her head while speaking to King. “Sorry King , I got pulled into another case, it was  sorta unplanned.” She glanced back up and at Dean who was watching her curiously. “You could call Bobby, he’s back home, could probably get the info you’re needing.” She shifted tucking a lock of hair back behind her ear. She then felt a nip at her ear and she stood up abruptly. “Um, yeah I can probably make my way down there after this case is done, is Alex not around to help again?”

Ava turned and stepped away from the table , trying to ignore the fact that Dean had noticed the odd behavior. She listened to King for a few more minutes before the conversation ended and she turned to step back over to the table where Dean was waiting for her return. 

“Everything good?” Dean questioned lightly and Ava nodded. 

“Yeah, he’s got a really weird case he’s trying to solve.” Ava said after a second idly twisting her phone in her hands. “Sounds like it might be witches, but nothing concrete yet.”

“Ah,” Dean took the explanation easily before a smirk lit up his face and he dropped his chair back to the ground. “So, Angel tell me, what were you thinking about in that pretty head of yours that caused  _ you _ to blush like that?”

Ava hesitated and pursed her lips when she heard a loud bark of a laugh come from Lucifer who was sitting on the table now watching the scene play out pure amusement on his face. 

“Yes, tell the boy what you were thinking,  _ Angel _ .” Lucifer said with a heavy distasteful emphasis on the word Angel. 

“Wouldn’t you love to know?” Ava smirked a little herself , ignoring Lucifer to try and regain some of her confidence. “Just add it to that  list of stuff I could show you sometime, but, we have a few ghosts to take care of,”

Dean looked at her for a moment a little stunned at her comeback, before he shook his head and stood as well. 

“Let’s get these ghosts out of the way then,” Dean said before downing the rest of his coffee in one gulp. “I’m getting more and more curious about what’s on this list of yours.”

“Patience is a virtue.” Ava atoned with a little laugh. 

“Not too good with the virtues, Angel,” Dean said and Ava rolled her eyes. 

“Knowing you, that’s almost an understatement.” Ava said with a little snort and then turned to walk out of the library leaving Dean to follow  which he did so with a little chuckle.

~*~

Ava hesitated  sitting in the Impala for a moment one foot on the ground listening to Dean in the trunk pulling out whatever he wanted to use inside the store. She finally stepped out looking back at Dean who had just closed the trunk with a little thud. 

“Heads up,” Dean said tossing something at her.

She caught it before looking at what she’d caught. She flipped what looked like a small meter over before looking up at Dean. She held it up with an eyebrow raised in question.  

“EMF meter,” Dean explained pulling his duffle over his shoulder. 

Ava made a little sound before reaching up and flipping a switch. It beeped a little at her before falling silent again. 

“Never used one,” Ava admitted looking up at him. “This’ll be fun.”

“You’ve never used one?” Dean questioned stepping up beside her, then with a little tease to his voice: “How have you survived this long?”

“Bobby,” Ava shrugged halfheartedly. “So, I’m going to guess it will  er sound off when there’s activity?”

“Yeah, something like that,” Dean grinned as Ava shrugged and slipped it into her pocket. 

“Well, isn’t it going to be a constant sound if Abigail tries to help us?” Ava ask stepping away from the Impala and followed Dean up the walk to the door. 

Dean just shook his head ignoring her but then they both stopped when the front door opened on its own. Ava hesitated glancing over at Dean who shifted all hints of teasing gone. Ava stepped on up on the porch glancing in the window to see if she could see anything before they stepped inside. 

“He knows we’re here.” Ava muttered before letting out a deep breat h and stepping inside the store,  Dean right behind her. 

As soon as they were far enough inside the store the door closed behind them with a loud snap and a little click as the lock was set back in place. Ava hesitated again, before Dean gently set down the duffle beside her. 

He reached in pulling out an iron fire poker and handing it back to Ava. She reached over taking it but not taking her eyes  off of the space in front of them. Ava then hesitated and looked at the poker in her hands for a second before conceding this would be a better option than a gun in town. 

She took an experimental swing in front of her around trying to get a feel for the weight as Dean stood back up beside her. 

“Okay,” Ava muttered before turning to look back down the row towards the desk. “So, let’s try this. Abigail? Abigail sweetie, are you here?”

The EMF meter in Ava’s pocket whined quietly from her pocket only gaining in pitch as someone’s form materialized in front of the desk. It wasn’t Abigail. 

“Joanna?” Ava questioned quietly stepping forward a little. 

The woman nodded. She just floated there for a second before turning and disappearing down a row of books. 

Ava raised an eyebrow at this and looked at Dean who also had a raised eyebrow at this odd behavior but then shrugged and nodding in the direction Joanna had gone in. Ava then turned to follow behind Joanna , Dean not more than half a step behind her. 

The whole bookstore was unnervingly quiet the only sounds being the small scuff of Ava or Dean’s boots as they walked along behind Joanna. 

Suddenly the woman stopped just in front of a certain patch of wall, that looked a little off color compared to the rest. Joanna pointed to it before looking at Ava again and disappearing. 

“This wall looks odd.” Ava said quietly stepping up to it and placing her hand on it. “It almost looks, new... well  _ newer _ anyway.”

Ava only had a second or two more to try and decipher what Joanna had been trying to tell her before a deeply cold feeling washed over them both. Ava then turned from the wall to Dean opening her mouth to say something before the EMF meter in her pocket started  whining loudly.

Suddenly both Ava and Dean were lifted off their feet and thrown in opposite directions from each other and that patch of wall. 

Ava landed back first on a small desk that was pushed up against a wall and took a second to blink when she saw stars after her head collided with the desk . There was a clatter beside her and she realized she had dropped her fire poker to the floor. 

Flipping over and attempting to roll off the desk back onto her feet, Ava only realized she’d moved too soon when her left ankle rolled the wrong way dumping her back onto the floor face first. 

“Fuck!” Ava cursed rather loudly before flipping over and snatching up the metal poker. 

Bright faced, in pain and angry Ava looked around trying to spot where Dean had landed only to spot him halfway underneath a bookshelf, not moving. 

“Dean!” Ava shouted trying to get his attention as she pulled herself back up and onto her feet leaning on the desk for some support. “Dean! Get up!” 

For that she got a groan and the bookshelf moved as he pushed himself up. Ava sighed in relief before letting go of the desk and moving to head towards Dean. 

“You okay?” Ava questioned when she finally reached him and he pulled himself to his feet. 

“Good, you?” 

“Fine,” Ava lied about the ankle for now.

Ava then turned and headed back towards the wall they’d been standing in front of only moments before. Dean wasn’t more than two steps behind her, but before they even could reach the wall again, Ava spotted a black shadow out of the corner of her eye and a few more bookshelves fell blocking the path. 

“Cain doesn’t want us near that wall.” Ava muttered before looking at Dean. “I think there’s something behind there he doesn’t want us getting to.” 

Just as Ava said this there was another feeling of cold that washed over them. Ava glanced at Dean before both were yet again picked up and thrown in two different directions. 

“This fucker,” Ava heard this mutter from Dean as he staggered his way back up and onto his feet. Just as Ava opened her mouth to say something else both were hefted off t heir feet yet again and slammed into walls. 

This time though, when Ava landed she realized she had lost her poker yet again. Looking around to try and spot it before she got ‘relocated’ by Cain yet again, her eyes finally landed on it. She paused taking in its placement for a second brain working quickly to work through what she was seeing. 

The poker was jammed through the wall Joanna had pointed out to them and there was a long crack running from it both upwards towards the roof and downwards towards the floor. 

“It’s a hollow wall….” Ava muttered to herself after a second before turning to look around for where Dean was. She spotted him pushing himself to his feet only a few feet from where she was currently. “Holy shit! It’s a hollow wall!!”

“What?” Dean questioned confused.

“The wall,” Ava said again. “It’s hollow! It’s probably hiding Cain’s body!”

Just as Ava said this she was lifted again and thrown backwards into a bookshelf. She felt more than heard the crack of wood beneath her before she tumbled backwards and off said bookshelf and to the floor. 

“Ava?” Dean called and she then heard another thud. 

Ava turned looking at where she had landed only to realize the throw had thrown she and the bookshelf though the hollow wall. She had landed on a wood floor and just beside her was her poker. 

Pushing herself up to look at what was in the room, she made a sound of disgust when she was met with the sight of a woman’s skeleton in period clothing, sitting in a rocking chair.

“Bitch, you  fugly …” Ava said before looking the woman over trying to figure out who she was before she spotted something that looked familiar. 

The necklace that Cain’s mother was wearing in the picture was resting against the lady’s chest, glowing red in the darkness. 

That’s when everything clicked for Ava and  she realized  why she had thought the necklace looked familiar to her. It was the same pendant the witch that had killed Logan years before had worn. 

Jumping up , Ava scrambled towards the body reaching up and wrenching the item from its neck. She had just turned around before she ducked when a book came flying for her head. 

“Stay away from her!” a disembodied male voice shouted before the black figure from before appeared i n the  hole Ava had fallen through. 

Ava didn’t move, glancing around to see if she could spot her fire poker anywhere within her reach. She didn’t and looked back up at Cain before  making a decision . Ava dropped the pendant to the floor and slammed the heal of her  boot down on it. 

Ava heard a loud crack as her boot struck the object and then a yell. Cain’s spirit lunged towards her but Ava  slammed her b oot down one more time on the pendant. 

Cain’s spirit yelled again before warping around into a black mass. Then there was a bright light and an explosion of power that slammed into Ava, knocking the breath from her lungs completely. 

Then everything was quiet again. 

“Ava?” Dean called again.

“In here,” Ava answered before bending down and picking up the pieces of the pendent that she could salvage. 

“You alright?” Dean hopped down into the room with her just as she stood back up pieces in her hands. 

“I knew it looked familiar,” Ava said inspecting the pieces in her hands. 

“What is it?”

“A witch’s pendant.” Ava explained after a second looking up at Dean finally. “Old  _ old _ magic, most witches don’t even know what these are anymore , let alone how to use them. It’s like a conduit of sorts for the magic to use, makes it stronger because it’s more concentrated.  Sorta like how a relic works I guess is a way to explain it.” Ava handed him a piece to inspect. “I’ve actually only ever come across one witch who used one.”

“Yeah?” Dean said looking over the piece in his hand. 

“The witch that killed Logan had one.” Ava said after a second. “We came across her when we were  looking into a sting of unsolved disappearances of kids. Turns out, she was using the blood of innocents to essentially  er boost the pendants abilities,” Ava paused letting out a sigh. “Maybe that’s why the case had my attention, was more familiar that I realized. Least this time had a happier ending.”

Dean was quiet not sure if he should say something or not, but the answer was made for him when the EMF in Ava’s pocket started wo whine again. 

“Thank you,” someone said and both turned to see Joanna in the doorway. 

“Yes! Thank you!” Abigail appeared just next to her mother, a bright grin on her face. “You freed us!” 

“Well almost,” Ava said with a little smile. “Where are your bodies?”

“There are no bodies to find,” someone else said and a man appeared just beside Joanna, who looked at him and smiled. “My mother burned them after she took what she needed to place into the pendant. We are free now that the pendant’s magic is gone, we will bother the living no more.”

“Cain?” Ava questioned and the man nodded. 

“I apologize for everything,” Cain said a small sad smile on his own face. “The pendants influence warped my judgement to protect itself, for that I am sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Ava said with a little smile herself. “I know all about how…warped these things can make a person...or uh ghost.” Ava then paused before the smile slid off her face. “Cain, can I ask you one last question?”

“Of course.” 

“Did your mother kill you?”

At that question, Cain smiled a little sadly again and then all three disappeared. Ava pursed her lips guessing she got as close to an answer as she possibly could before  turning to look over at Dean. 

“You okay?” Ava questioned looking him over for any serious wounds. 

“I’m good, might be a little sore from the bookshelf landing on my back but otherwise all in one piece.” Dean nodded before looking her over. “You’re favoring your  left foot.”

“ Er yeah,  sorta twisted it earlier.” Ava admitted after a second or two. “Fell off a desk, and didn’t land on my feet correctly.”

“Can’t leave you alone for even a minute, can I?” Dean teased rolling his eyes. “First you come over here and get slammed into a wall and now you twisted your ankle?”

“Just lucky like that,” Ava said shrugging her shoulders. 

Dean just sighed and rolled his eyes again before reaching over and scooping Ava up bridal style. She let out a shocked exclamation before instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck so that she didn’t fall. 

“Hey!” Ava exclaimed after a second as he carried her out of the room. “I can still walk!”

“Quit bitching Angel.” Dean said with a grin. “Unless yo u want to chill out with Madam C reepy back there till I find something to wrap your ankle in. You can’t climb these fallen bookcases anyway.” 

Ava just sighed pursing her lips not saying anything more as Dean carried her out of the bookstore and back out to the Impala. He set her down in the passenger side seat gently before backing up a step. 

“You want to wrap the ankle here or back at the room?”

“Back in the room.” Ava answered  fairly quickly . “I’d like a hot shower to help relax muscles before they get too sore from being thrown around, and I’m sure you could use one too for your back.” 

“That sounds like a plan.” Dean agreed with a nod before closing her car door. 

Ava laughed a little leaning back into the leather seat. Dean slipped in beside her and quickly  enough  the two were headed back towards Connie’s Place. 

~*~

Ava sighed in contentment as she stepped out of the bathroom  wrapped up in a towel and drying her hair with another. She looked around the room noticing Dean was gone then to her right where her books had been only to spot a compression bandage, two pain killers, one of Dean’s flannel shirts and a note on top. 

Ava smiled before stepping over and picking up the note to read:

_  Thought you might want a different shirt to wear to bed. _

_Gone to grab food, be back._ _Wrap your ankle up._

Ava laughed a little at this and shook her head picking up the shirt and switching her towel out for it. She buttoned it up halfway turning to throw her towel over the chair the shirt had hung on and then picked up the pain killers and the bandage. 

Tilting the pills back and swallowing them dry, Ava then turned walking back over to the beds and perching herself on the one that had yet to be touched this visit. She quickly wrapped up her ankle and sighed in a slight relief as the bandage did help some with the pain. 

After a second or two more of just sitting on the edge of the bed , Ava reached over to grab the TV remote and flipped it on while moving back to prop herself up against the headboard. 

She had just settled on some old horror film , when she heard the door knob jiggle and she moved to get up and open the door for Dean when he finally got it open and stepped through. 

“Nope, you get back off your ankle.” Were the first words out of Dean’s mouth when he noticed she’d moved to get up. She opened her mouth to protest but was met with a glare from Dean as he set the food he’d found down on the table. “I said  _ no _ , stay put.”

Ava just sighed pursing her lips but settled back down in bed turning to watch the movie again stubbornly. He stepped over a few moments later and offered her a burger which she took with a smile of thanks and he turned to the other bed. 

“So , what’re we watching?” Dean questioned kicking off his boots and settling down and taking a bite of his burger. 

“No clue.” Ava admitted after a second when she swallowed her own bite of burger. “But it was either this or some chick flick romance movie.” 

“Good choice,” Dean said and Ava laughed a little. 

The two finished off their burgers and watched the movie through to the end before deciding they best ought to turn in for the night.

So now hours later and looking dangerously at 3am, Ava was staring at the ceiling listening to Dean snore beside her. She couldn’t seem to relax enough to sleep, even though she was  actually really rather tired. 

Her mind kept flicking back to the witch’s pendant, and the pendant just reminded her of Logan. So, every time she closed her eyes to try and sleep all she could see was Logan’s broken body as he drew his last breath in her arms all those years ago. 

Finally after about the sixth time of closing her eyes and seeing that , she’d given up and just decided to stare at the ceiling and hope she’d become so tired she’d just black out. She lay there for a little while longer before she huffed out a breath and flipped over on her side facing Dean. 

He was lying on his stomach, arms wrapped up under his pillow half way under the covers with his foot hanging off the bed barely brushing his boots. Ava smiled taking in the relaxed look on his face thinking it made him look so much younger than he did when awake. 

Ava then shook her head sighing and turning back to lay on her back again to stare at the ceiling. She should be used to this by now, sleep had never been easy for her to find.  _ Never _ . The only time she had been able to  actually sleep and soundly was when….

Ava sat up at this realizing suddenly the only time in her life that she had ever slept peacefully all night was when she had been with Dean. Somehow it seemed that all the nightmares, all her worries just sort of faded for a while. 

Ava blushed bright red at this before biting her lip and looking over at Dean again. She didn’t want to wake him up from what seemed like a pretty restful sleep, but she also knew he would be pissed in the morning if he found her with getting no sleep at all. 

After a moment or two of having an internal debate with herself on  whether or not to stay put or get up and crawl into bed with Dean she finally made up her mind. Throwing her covers away she moved rolling gingerly up and onto her feet. 

“ Ow.. ” Ava muttered under her breath as a sharp pain shot up her leg from her foot. 

Ava then just hopped the step over to Dean’s bed and crawled down under the covers beside him. Dean grunted at the movement but moved to accommodate her anyway.

“ Whatcha doing, Angel?” Dean questioned his voice deep and rough from sleep. 

“Nothing, just go back to sleep.” Ava said lying on her side just on the edge of the bed trying not to take up too much space. 

“Right,”  Dean muttered  after a second  before  rolling over and pulling her further into the bed. 

The two finally made themselves comfortable and still after a few moments of shifting ,  Dean’s arm  now wrapped around  Ava’s waist his hand resting on the low of her back just underneath his shirt that she was wearing.  Ava had her head propped on his chest just over his heart so that she could listen to the steady beat grounding her and letting her relax. 

“Bad dream or something?” Dean said after a second. 

“Just bad memories from that damn pendant.” Ava said after a second or two, closing her eyes and for the first time all night didn’t see  Logan . “Don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Okay,” Dean agreed after a moment or two.

“Thanks Dean,” Ava said after a few moments of silence. 

Dean grunted at that and Ava smiled before taking a deep breath and relaxing letting Dean’s heartbeat and snores lull her to sleep. 


	7. Chapter VII

Ava groaned, with a little stretch burying her nose into the warmth beneath her. She was met with a grunt and the hand that was resting on her lower back flexed. Ava grinned at this before picking her head up and looking over at the clock. 

6:45am 

She huffed a little before lying back down to try and go back to sleep. This was met with a little chuckle and that hand moving further up her back under the shirt. 

“ Time is it?” Dean’s voice was deep and still a little slurred from sleep.

“Still before God gets up,” Ava muttered after a second. 

“Never heard that one before,” Dean said before moving and burying his nose in her hair hand now lightly tracing absent patterns on her back. He then turned his head to look at the clock himself. “Aren’t you usually up and on a run by this time anyway?” 

“Yes, because going on a run with a twisted ankle is totally feasible.” Ava bit out sarcastically curling a little into the softer touches on her back. 

“Well, maybe we can find something else to do with all this free time you suddenly have,”

“Yeah?” Ava laughed a little propping her chin on his chest to look up at him. “Got something particular in mind?”

“ Hm , maybe,” 

Dean grinned before pressing the hand that was on her back a little firmer, encouraging her to move up some before tangling the other in her hair and pulling her up. She went willingly with a little grin herself before the grin was wiped from her face by a kiss. 

It was shockingly sweet and almost chaste, causing Ava to smile a little with a blush when they parted. Dean’s hand then moved from her hair to trace to side of her face for a second.

“Okay, I gotta ask, even if it’s moot at this point,” Dean’s voice was much more awake now even if it was still husky. “You’re sure about this?”

“Yeah,” Ava agreed. “Besides, didn’t I promise to show you what was on my list?”

“Fuck,” Dean groaned at this hand going back up to tangle in her hair before moving and flipping them over. 

Ava laughed a little at this before reaching up and running her own hands though his hair before pulling him back down into a kiss, and this time it was nowhere near sweet or chaste. She then moaned a little as she felt his hand pushing the shirt she was still wearing up and across her stomach. 

Just as his hand reached the underside of her breast a loud sound broke through to them both breaking concentration. It was Dean’s phone.  

Both paused looking over at said phone which was resting on the bedside table seeming to be debating on whether or not he should answer. Neither moved until the ringing stopped and Ava laughed a little before reaching up to pull him back down for a kiss. 

He laughed and went willingly and for a moment there was nothing but silence again before the phone began to ring again. 

This time Dean reached over snatching it up and answering with an irritated: “What?”

Ava rolled her eyes when she heard what sounded like Sam’s voice on the other end of the call and Dean moved sitting up beside her. 

“Sam, I’m a little busy, what is it?” Dean’s voice was short and Ava huffed sitting up herself.

“Dude, you can’t keep it in your pants for a few days?” Sam’s voice sounded just as irritated as Dean’s when Ava heard him speak. “Ava’s with you!”

“Yeah, and Ava is totally aware of the situation!” Ava said loudly enough for Sam to hear through the phone. 

She heard Sam make a sound that almost sounded like a squeak and his next sentence was muffled but Dean grinned hearing it. 

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll be back this afternoon,” Dean said and then hung up the phone, before tossing it over on the bedside table again and turning to Ava. “So, he won’t be interrupting us again, where were we?”

Ava laughed at this leaning over to kiss Dean again. He let her before reaching over and pulling her into his lap. Just as Dean’s hand started to sneak up her shirt again there was a loud knock at the door. 

“For fucks sake!” Dean hissed out and Ava groaned leaning her head on his shoulder. 

“Ava! Dean! You guys up? It’s Abram!” Abram’s voice came through the door. 

“You think if we’re really quiet he’ll give up and go away?” Dean muttered after a second or two. 

“No,” Ava said voice muffled by his shoulder. “The Impala’s a dead giveaway that at least one of us is here,”

“Guys?” there was another loud knock.

“Give us just a sec Abram,” Ava finally called back moving to climb out of Dean’s lap and finding their pants. 

She tossed Dean’s jeans to him when she found them before her own. With a little huff, he caught them, then got up himself and stepped into the bathroom. Ava made a little face before pulling on her own jeans and turning to answer the door. 

“Hey, Abram,” Ava said with a little strained smile. “Everything okay?”

“Of course!” Abram said then his own smile faded a little noticing her strained smile and probably messed up hair at this point. “I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”

“No, we were just getting up,” Ava said opening the door a little more when she heard Dean step out behind her. “So, what’s up?”

“Well, we wanted to take you guys to breakfast before you left,” Abram explained shifting a little on his feet. “And to make sure you got whatever books you wanted from the store, for your friend. It’s the least we can do,”

“You don’t have to do that,” Ava said after a long second processing what he’d said. 

“Well, will you let us?” Abram said tilting his head a little and offering a wave to Dean, who offered a half-assed movement of acknowledgement in return. “At least let us take you to breakfast before you leave, I insist.”

“I, well,” Ava glanced back at Dean who had turned to grab his duffle from the floor. “Okay,  er just give us a few minutes.”

“Okay!” Abram chirped happily and turned back to his own room presumably to grab Conner. 

Ava shut the door behind him and leaned up against it with a little huff. She made a little face before looking over at Dean. 

“The universe hates  us doesn’t it?” Ava muttered and Dean huffed out a little laugh. 

“Almost seems like it,” Dean said and Ava stood from the door moving to step in the bathroom lightly nudging the door with her foot behind her.

Ava sighed before turning on the tap for some water, and splashed her face with it. She then looked at her reflection in the mirror, before reached over for a towel to pat her face dry. Ava then studied the face looking back at her for a moment reaching up and brushing her fingers through her hair to try and tame it down. 

“I have to say I’m starting to enjoy seeing what will interrupt you two next.” Lucifer’s voice from just behind her made her flick her gaze back to the mirror and spot him leaning against the wall behind her. “Maybe it’s just not meant to be for you to be with someone? Always seem to have something getting in the way, just like the universe hates you.”

Ava rolled her eyes at him not bothering to respond turning her attention back to her hair and trying to get it tamed. 

“I mean really? I have  _ never _ seen two people be interrupted as much as you two have been the last two days.” Lucifer said breaking into her concentration on her hair. “You can’t even get in a quickie without someone interrupting!” 

Ava ignored Lucifer turning her attention then to Dean’s flannel that she was still wearing. She then turned to look around the bathroom, remembering that she had left her tank from the first night they’d stayed in here.

Ava smiled when she found it sitting on the counter realizing Dean must have found it and placed it there. She then turned her attention to the flannel slipping it off and setting it on the counter beside her to reach over for the tank. 

“Now, that’s just not fair.” Dean’s voice sounded from behind her and she looked up in the mirror to spot him. 

The door was still nudged closed but she hadn’t realized it wasn’t by much till she saw he was leaning on the frame watching her arms crossed small smirk on his face. She grinned herself and shook her head slipping the tank on regardless. She then reached over picking up the flannel and turning around to face him and hold it out to him. 

“I believe this is yours,” Ava said and that prompted Dean to push himself off the doorframe and step up to her. 

“Keep it,” Dean said with a little smile. “Looks better on you anyway.” 

Ava smiled at that leaning back against the counter letting him step up and onto her space, this time not protesting. His smile turned into a wicked smirk when he noticed this, stepping up placing a hand on either side of her trapping her between the counter and him again. 

“Déjà vu,” Ava said and he laughed. 

He then moved one of his hand from beside her up to her chin to tilt it up towards him. He then leaned down and brushed their lips together softly. Ava hummed in contentment of this gesture and then reached up to wrap her arms around his neck the flannel in her hand landing on the floor long forgotten. His other hand that had been on the counter then moved softly tracing his way down to her hip where he gave a gentle squeeze pulling her closer to him.

Just then there was a loud knock on the door.

“Yep, déjà vu for sure.” Dean muttered resting his forehead against hers and she just let out a soft laugh. 

“Ava, we’re headed to the dinner, meet us there?” Abram’s voice came through the door. 

“Yeah, right behind you,” Ava called after a second, and Dean moved to bury his face against her neck, placing small kisses there. 

“See  ya there!”

Ava laughed a little shaking her head and turning her attention back to Dean, curling a hand in his hair. “So, we should probably get going…”

“Yeah, probably so,” Dean muttered but made no move to leave.

“Dean-”

Ava was then cut off by Dean’s phone ringing in the other room. Both hesitated again before separating and Dean moved stepping out to answer the phone. Ava sighed, leaning on the counter a few seconds more, before reaching down and picking the flannel back up and shrugging it on.

“Always some type of interruption.” Lucifer’s voice came from the doorway and she spotted him leaning where Dean had been a few moments ago smug smirk on his face. 

“Piss off,” Ava muttered reaching back to pull her hair free of the shirt and flipping the collar to be correct. “Again, privacy is a thing,”

“Haven’t we had this conversation before?” Lucifer questioned tapping a finger to his chin thoughtfully. “Talk about déjà vu!”

Ava rolled her eyes and sighed walking by Lucifer and back out into the room to f ind where Dean had gotten off to.

“Yeah, I’ll be there as soon as I can be,” Dean was saying when she walked in. “Dad. I said I’ll be there when I can be, yelling will not change how fast I can get there.” 

Dean paused again and glanced at Ava as she walked in the room. She tilted her head before she heard John’s voice yelling through the phone at Dean. Raising both eyebrows in question at this she paused crossing her arms and waiting for him to finish his conversation with John. 

“Yeah, yeah, see you there.” Dean said before hanging up the phone. 

“He must really need some help if he’s calling again,” Ava said after a beat.

“So, it would seem.” 

“Well, um I can call Sam or Bobby to come get me or something if you need to go on,” Ava said shifting her feet a little awkwardly. “I’ve gotta go meet with King when I can anyway so…”

“No,” Dean shook his head. “I’ll take you back to Bobby’s. Dad can hold his horses.”

“You sure?” Ava questioned shrugging her shoulders. “It’s not-”

“I’ll take you back to Bobby’s,” Dean cut her off before crossing the room and stepping outside. “Let’s go meet Abram and Conner.”

Ava uncrossed her arms and snorted out a laugh as she followed behind him easily, closing the door behind her.

~*~

“Thanks again guys!” Abram said pulling Ava in for a quick hug. “Don’t be strangers.”

“With all the  books you have here I’d be an idiot not to visit.” Ava said with a little laugh returning the embrace. “And speaking of, thanks for the books.”

“No problem.” Abram laughed. “Should keep, um Sam, was it? From being too mad at you two for leaving him behind.”

“ So let’s hope,” Ava said and then turned to give Conner a little wave.

“Keep in touch,” Conner said a smile on his face. 

“I will, but we’ve gotta hit the road.” Ava tilted her head towards the Impala. “Dean’s gotta get to Arizona and I need to get to Louisiana.” 

“Bye Ava!” Abram said bright grin on his face stepping back from her. “Bye Dean!”

Ava smiled as Dean gave a cursory wave to Abram and Conner at hearing his name. Ava then turned slipping down into the passenger seat of the Impala where Dean was waiting. 

“Thought I was gonna have to get out and save you from them,” Dean  gruffed out in what might have been a joking manner, but it was a little too detached for it to have been an actual joke and moving to pull out of the parking spot.  

“Not one for goodbyes, Dean?” Ava said turning to angle herself towards him in the seat. 

“Had more than my fill of having to say them.” 

Ava paused at this just studying him before sighing a little and reaching up to run her fingers through her hair. “I think all of us have,” she paused again faraway look on her face before turning her attention back to Dean. “But it is nice to say a goodbye every once in a while, without it ending in a burial or what not.” 

“True.” Dean conceded after a second or two and then smiled. “So, tell me about this case you think you have in Louisiana,” 

Ava grinned with a little laugh before settling in to talk about what she knew of King’s case.

~*~

Later that evening, found Ava humming to herself as she  checked on the l asagna she was currently cooking for dinner. Finding it cooking nicely, she then turned her attention to her garlic bread which would need to be put in the oven soon as well. 

She and Dean had made it back to the house by early afternoon and were greeted by a slightly upset Sam. He though had quickly forgiven them when Ava gave him the books from Abram and Conner and disa ppeared into the study to read . Bobby had greeted them soon after that and ask Dean to help him with something which had resulted in them taking off. 

Ava in turn had decided she was in the mood to cook and had spent most of her afternoon in the kitchen. So far , she had baked two apple pies with the cinnamon touch that she’d wanted to try out, made stew to freeze so Bobby (and Sam if he chose to stay), had real food instead of TV dinners while she was gone to King’s, and then the  l asagna for dinner that night. 

“It smells absolutely  _ heavenly _ in here. . .” Sam’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts as she turned to look at him. “What are you cooking in here?”

“Lasagna,” Ava said with a little smile. “Should be done soon, guess you’re hungry?”

“ Seems like your ankle’s doing better ,” someone else announced themselves as they stepped in the kitchen from the  back laundry room. “And is that pie I see?”

“For after dinner.” Ava confirmed seeing Dean and behind him Bobby. “Go wash up, it’s almost done.”

“Yes ma’am,” Dean saluted her with a grin. 

“Sam, do me a favor and grab the plates out of the cabinet.” Ava pointed to where she meant using the knife she had been using on the bread. 

“Sure,” Sam complied easily moving over to the cabinet she pointed to pulling out four plates for them to use. 

Ava smiled a little before the timer went off for the lasagna to be pulled out of the oven and she quickly pulled it out and replaced it with the bread. Once that was done she turned back to the stew that was simmering on the stove, using a spoon to taste it. 

“Perfect.” Ava said to herself before moving the stew to another eye on the stove so that it could cool before she put it in containers to freeze. 

“I didn’t know you could cook Ava,” Sam said setting the plates out on the table before turning to her. 

“I have many hidden talents Sam,” Ava said with a little grin before reaching over and pulling the bread from the oven. She then turned to walk over to the table and set it out. “Now, budge, I don’t wanna burn you.”

Sam laughed a little at this moving out of her way and just watched her moving around the kitchen. 

“Anything I can do to help?” Sam questioned after a second or two. 

“Na,” Ava shook her head carrying the lasagna over to the table before looking for a knife to cut into it with. “I got this, go find the other two and let’s eat.”

“Okay,” 

Sam happily complied with this and before long all three were sitting at the table digging into the meal. 

“This is some of the best lasagna I’ve ever had,” Sam said with a happy little groan taking another bite. “Did you make this from scratch?” 

“ Um, well y eah,” Ava nodded after a second being caught off guard by the question. 

“Really?” Sam sounded so impressed that it caused Ava to blush a little.  

“I don’t like the flavor of the premade stuff, doesn’t do it justice.” Ava explained before moving to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Dean noticed the nervous movement waiting for the  darker  blush to follow. “It’s really not that big a deal,” 

“It’s amazing, Ava.” Sam praised again taking another bite. “Truly.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full Sam,” Dean cut in suddenly, pointing his fork at his younger brother. “Do you have no table manners?”

“Yeah cause you’re one to talk,” Ava said shifting her attention to him and away from the uncomfortable conversation. When Dean grinned at her after said comment she realized what he’d done. He’d changed the subject for her after noticing her unease. “I’ll pack you some before you leave.”

“Thank you!” Sam proclaimed happily before reaching for a second helping of the food. 

“How was that call you had this afternoon, Bobby?” Ava questioned trying to change the subject off of her again. 

It did the trick Bobby easily turning to answer her question. As Bobby talked Ava glanced over at Dean and offered him a thank you smile before turning her attention back to the conversation at hand and her own plate of food. 

~*~

An hour later found Ava still in the kitchen, but this time cleaning up the mess she had made that afternoon while Dean and Sam were in the living room arguing over what movie they were going to watch. Bobby had gotten a call somewhere around thirty minutes ago and had stepped into the study and shut the door behind him to block out the brother’s bickering. 

“Hey,”

 Dean’s voice coming just from behind her startled her enough that she jumped a little and spun around to face him. He stood literally just behind her and when she turned she almost bumped right into him. He chuckled a little under his breath before leaning forward and putting his hands on either side of her yet again trapping her against the counter. 

“He seems to really have a thing for trapping you against counters,” Lucifer’s voice broke in beside her and she didn’t even bother looking over to him. “Interesting kink,”

“Yes?” Ava questioned looking up at him, eyebrow raised. 

“ Whatcha doing?” Dean questioned lightly.

“Cleaning up, messes happen when you cook.” Ava answered easily with a shrug. “Speaking of, you never said whether or not you liked the pie. I used cinnamon in the crust this time.” 

Dean laughed a little at this. “Angel, it was fantastic. Gonna have you cook for me more often now that I know you can.”

“ _ Have _ me cook for you?” Ava questioned an eyebrow raised at this. “That all you’re gonna  _ have _ me do for you,  _ Sir _ ?”

Ava had meant it as a joke to play off his own statement, but as soon as she’d said the word Sir she noticed how his eyes darkened drastically. Ava blinked caught off guard by the sudden heat that spurred through her at that look and her face lit up. 

“Hey! Are you two gonna come watch this movie with me or not?” Sam’s voice broke through sharply breaking into the bubble they’d created for a moment. 

“Yeah Sam, go ahead and start it.” Dean called back his voice a little gruffer than normal. “Be there in just a second.”

“So… we should go join Sam,” Ava said quietly after a second. “Before he comes to get us,” 

“Yeah, maybe in a minute.” Dean said before moving his hand to her chin and tilting it up and leaned in to kiss her. 

“Hey! Ava is there some of that pie left?” Sam’s question broke them apart a moment later so that Ava could answer. 

“Yeah Sam,” Ava called a little breathlessly. “Want another piece?”

“Um yeah,” Sam called back after a second or two. “Are you okay? You sound a little…Ooh! OOH!  Er um  nevermind …”

“Ha! Even little brother has you two figured out!” Lucifer said with a dark cackle that Ava promptly tried to ignore.

Ava snorted at Sam’s revelation before nudging Dean a little to make him step back from her so that she could step over to the pie. 

“You want another piece too, Dean?” Ava questioned over her shoulder to him. 

“Na, I think I’m good.”

At this Ava set down the plate she held and turned back to look at him shocked. He grinned at this stepping over to tap her jaw where it had fallen open with her shock and then kissed her forehead lightly before turning around and stepping back into the living room. 

“Don’t forget Sam’s pie,” Dean called over his shoulder as he walked away. 

Ava just stood there for a second or two letting her shock wear off before she turned back around and picked Sam’s plate back up and cut him a piece of the pie. 

Deciding the last few dishes in the kitchen could wait until tomorrow, Ava stepped out into the living room, just as Bobby stepped out of the study , Rumsfeld just on his heels.  

“Everything good?” Ava questioned as she stepped over to hand an eager Sam his plate with the slice of pie on it. 

“Yeah,” Bobby said before moving to sit down in his own chair. “It was King, still trying to figure out his case. Told him you’d be on your way down first thing in the morning,”

“Any new info I should know about?” Ava questioned before she dropped onto the couch between Sam and Dean. 

“Nothing too interesting.” Bobby shrugged. “I still think it’s witches like you suggested.”

Ava just nodded before everyone turned their attention to the movie Sam had started. Beside her, Dean shifted throwing his arm up over the back of the couch giving her a little more room as Sam leaned in slightly to her shoulder. 

Ava smiled at this before leaning into him a little and turning her own attention to the movie that Sam was intently watching. Turns out the movie Sam had put on to play, (she had a suspicion it wasn’t actually Sam’s choice) was an 80s horror. 

Only another twenty minutes in, Ava felt herself start to drift off listening to Dean’s steady breathing and the phony screams of the onscreen actresses. 

~*~

Ava woke with a little start and little gasp , heart hammering in her chest  brought on by a vibrant nightmare. She shifted slightly only to be met with a little grunt and then a nose being buried into her leg. Blinking, Ava turned to see whose head was in her lap only to spot Sam.

He was sleeping with his feet thrown over the arm of the couch to give him some room and his face was smooshed into her leg. Ava shifted her torso a little not wanting to disturb Sam, and looked around at the rest of the room. 

The TV in front of her was blue screened indicating to the fact that the movie had probably ended some hours ago. Bobby was still sitting in his chair, cap pulled down over his eyes snoring quite soundly with Rumsfeld lying between the chair and the ottoman where Bobby’s feet were propped. He gave her a cursory tail thump when he noticed she was awake before letting out a huff of breath to go back to sleep. 

She then shifted and looked up at who she was basically lying on top of. Dean didn’t seem to have minded her falling asleep across him, in fact he had shifted turning more into her and tucking himself into the corner of the couch to give her more of his chest to fall asleep on. His arm that had been across the back of the couch had  made its way down her back and around her waist  slightly,  whereas her own had been flung across his chest. 

Ava smiled a little at this before letting out a deep breath to slow her heartrate on back down to normal range. Dean’s arm curled a little tighter in what seemed like a built-in instinct to protect giving her something to ground herself to. 

She closed her eyes again before burying her own nose into Dean’s chest to be met with a little grunt and a tightening of his arm again. She sighed, letting herself relax to go back to sleep, feeling safer squished between the Winchester brothers on Bobby’s old couch than she ever had . 


	8. Chapter VIII

“Hey Ava?” Sam’s voice came from behind her , and she tilted her head to indicate she was listening. 

“Hey Sam,” Ava acknowledged , before pushing down the false bottom in the back of her Jeep once she was done checking she had what she needed. “Thought you left with Dean earlier this morning?” 

“I um decided it would probably be best to sit this one out,” Sam said watching Ava as she dropped back down to her feet. “All things considering,”

Ava tilted her head at this in agreement , before turning to look at him and leaning up against the jeep a little.   

“So, what’s up?” Ava questioned crossing her arms waiting for Sam to answer. 

“Well, I was thinking since you have a twisted ankle and all, maybe you wouldn’t mind me coming with you to King’s to help?” Sam shifted a little as he ask. 

“Sure,” Ava nodded pushing herself up from the jeep and giving him a little wave. “Go get your stuff, we’ve gotta get on the road soon, I’m hoping to be there sometime tomorrow morning.” 

Sam grinned at this and turned on heal headed back into the house to grab his duffle. Ava laughed a little before turning her attention to finding Bobby. She found him in the kitchen getting himself a mug of coffee. 

“Sam and I are fixing to head out, want me to bring anything back from Mama Doux?” Ava questioned announcing her presence to the older man. 

“Sam’s still here?” Bobby turned his gaze from the coffee to her. “Thought he and Dean took off a few hours ago.”

“Yeah, Dean left, Sam decided to sit this one out.” Ava said with a shrug before walking over to get herself a small mug of the coffee. “He and John had a little falling out.”

“That letter from Stanford?” Bobby questioned taking a small drink of his coffee. 

“Yeah,” Ava confirmed easily. “I’ve found that John Winchester is a right bastard,”

Bobby laughed a little coldly into his coffee mug. “Maybe, but he’s just a broken man doing what he thinks is right Ava,”

“Maybe,” Ava pursed her lips a little. “But disowning his son for wanting to go to college and get out of the life isn’t right.”

“Never said it was.” 

“Hey Ava, ready to go?” Sam’s voice cut into the conversation and both Bobby and Ava turned to see him standing in the doorway to the kitchen. 

“Yep,” Ava downed the little bit off coffee she had before quickly rinsing out the mug and placing it back in the cabinet. Ava then turned to Bobby. “Be back eventually. Stew in the freezer, lasagna in the fridge.”

“You act like I don’t know how to take care of myself for a few days,” Bobby grumbled but there was a fond smile on his face. “I did actually survive before you came along you know,”

“Sometimes I do wonder what you did without me,” Ava said rolling her eyes before grinning and giving Bobby a wave. 

“Ate a lot more TV dinners,” Bobby said sarcastically and Ava snorted a little. 

“You love having me around, don’t deny it old man,”

“Don’t have to,” Bobby said with a little laugh. “Go on then, King’s waiting for you and you got a long drive.”

“Bye Bobby.” Ava said heading on out the door , Sam just behind her. 

“Be careful!” Bobby called out as she hopped down the steps. 

“I’ll call you when we get there,” Ava reassured with a little laugh pulling herself up into the driver’s seat of the jeep that was waiting for them. 

Sam threw his duffle in the back and quickly slipped into the passenger side seat as Ava started the engine. 

“Find something to listen to, beyond news or talk shows,” Ava said and then vaguely motioned to the radio. Sam just looked at her for a moment. 

“You’re really gonna let me pick the music?” Sam finally questioned after a second or two. 

“Yeah, sure,” Ava shrugged. “I need something to listen to, but news and talk shows drive me nuts, so anything else is good.” Ava then paused shifting up gears. “And opera, opera doesn’t make for good road music.” Ava then looked over at him when he didn’t move. “Sam radio. I assume you do know how to use one or am I assuming too much?”

“Um, right okay so,” Sam then turned his attention to the radio. 

Ava shook her head with a little laugh turning her attention to the road and the long trip they had ahead of them.

~*~

Ava sighed and stretched a little before popping the jeep door and pushing it open to let a foot hang out for just a moment. She then looked over at Sam, who was snoozing happily, head leant up against the window. Ava smiled a little, sorta feeling bad that she was fixing to have to wake him up, but was saved the trouble when a deep bark broke the silence of the late morning. The screen door slammed open as a large Pitbull came charging out the door with three or four others just on his heals barking as well. 

“Hey, Blú it’s just me!” Ava said turning her attention to the largest of the dogs. “Quit your barking!”

Sam had woken with a little start looking around to make sure they weren’t in trouble only to look around and see Ava scratching behind the ears of the large dog that had woke him. 

“Sorry, I forgot about the dogs.” Ava said with a little apologetic smile when she noticed he was awake. “King rescues them,”

“Tu es en retard, mon cheri,” another voice carried out across the yard and both turned to see someone step out of the house. “Et qui est avec vous?”

“Mes excuses, King,” Ava responded and Sam blinked looking at her slightly shocked at her easy response in French. “Circulation, mais c’est mon ami, Sam Winchester,”  

“Ah hello Sam Winchester,” who Sam assumed was King said looking over at him a with a little smile. “Welcome,” 

King was a taller man, standing somewhere around 6.1’ if Sam were to take a guess, with shorter cropped dark hair and bright green eyes that were watching Ava pretty intensely. He was also younger than Sam was expecting, maybe only a few years older than them. 

“Thank you,” Sam finally managed when he opened his own door and stepped out. 

Ava in turn gave Blú a little nudge to move so she could climb out as well , dropping into the middle of the group of pits. Sam smiled at this as she reached to pat each one in turn before King let out a low whistle. 

“Alright c’mon ya’ll,” King called out to the dogs. “Leave Ava be,”

All the dogs turned towards King as he opened the screen door they’d bust out of and all went running back, save for the one Ava called Blú and one other who trotted over to where Sam stood and sat down just in front of him. 

“Well hello,” Sam said slightly confused. 

“That’s Emma,” Ava said with a little laugh. 

“Hey Emma,” Sam said reaching over to give the pup a pat on the head and her tail began to wag rapidly. 

“Looks like she likes you Sam,” Ava teased turning to grab her bag from the back, Blú just on her heals. “C’mon, move Blú, I’m gonna step on you.”

The pit wagged his tail but did move to the side and out of Ava’s way. Sam then turned to grab his own bag only to find Emma just under his own feet.

“Emma , c’mon move,” Ava said noticing the pup just under Sam’s feet. “You’re as bad as Blú,”

Blú wagged his tail at being mentioned and leaned up against Ava’s legs insistent on another ear scratch. Ava sighed , but indulged him for a second , before nudging him out of her way and turned to walk up to the porch where King was waiting. 

“Hey,” Ava greeted with a smile. 

“Hey, yourself,” King said with a gentle smile. 

“Hey! Is that Ava I hear?” someone else shouted from inside the house and King sighed stepping out of the way of the screen door.  

A young woman who looked to be around sixteen then came busting out the door. She  skid to a stop though as soon as she spotted Sam , who was now standing at the bottom of the porch steps. 

She was a cute woman standing only a little taller than Ava with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She blushed a little seeing Sam , and instantly started fiddling with the edge of  the white button up shirt she wore.

“Hi,” she said totally ignoring Ava, who had taken a step back to stand beside King. 

“Hi,” Sam said with a little smile. “I’m Sam,”

“Essie,” she stuttered out after a second. “Er, Esperanza, but all my friends call me Essie, and you can call me Essie, I mean if you want to…”

Ava raised an eyebrow glancing at King who had his arms crossed a little frown on his face watching them. She shook her head slightly and nudged him to gain his attention. 

“Nice to meet you, Essie,” Sam’s smile was a little wider now that he noticed her blush deepen when she rambled. 

“Um, so I just made some breakfast, I can make you a plate,” Esperanza said now moving and placing her hands behind her back and leaning forward a little. “You know, if you’re hungry?”

“I am actually  _ really _ hungry,” Sam nodded stepping on up the porch steps.

King opened his mouth at this a little scowl on his face before Ava put an elbow in his gut cutting his reply off with a rush of air. Esperanza grinned brightly at this before reaching forward and grabbing Sam’s hand to pull him into the house, Emma still right on his heels. Ava grinned at this and turned to King who was rubbing his side where she’d elbowed him. 

“Ouch,” King grumbled at her after a second. 

“Oh, you’re fine, you softy,” Ava said with a little laugh, then tilted her head towards the door where Sam, Esperanza and Emma had gone through. “Well , that was a development I wasn’t expecting,”

“You know how I feel about Hunters being around Essie,” King said after a second with a little bite to his voice. 

“You can’t protect her from us forever, King,” Ava said with a roll of her eyes. “You’re a Hunter yourself,”

“That’s  _ exactly _ why I don’t want her around them.” King defended with a huff. “She’s too-”

“So is he,” Ava cut him off with a little huff herself defending Sam. “He’s going to Stanford, wants to be a lawyer he thinks, and getting out of the life.”

“Oh,” King instantly softened up. 

“Yeah,” Ava said then sighed. “He and his dad had a really  _ bad _ falling out, he ask to come out here with me and I figured it would be a good distraction.”

King hummed at this before turning his attention to Ava who still had her duffle in her hand and Blú who was sitting on her foot. King then reached over pulling the duffle from her hand and turned to head inside himself. 

“Hey!” Ava proclaimed following him inside , Blú just behind her. “I can carry my own things!”

“Hey Essie!” King called down the hall ignoring Ava’s protest. “Save some of that for Ava and I!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Esperanza called back. “I’ll bring some plates to the study later! I’m sure you need to get Ava on that case of yours.”

“Thank you!” Ava called back still following behind King.

King ignored them and turned to walk into a large room to their left dropping Ava’s duffle just to the inside the door. She sighed , following him on in ignoring the duffle and turned her attention then to the books littered across the large antique oak table that took up half the room. 

“You’ve been busy,” Ava said stepping up and scanning the books to see where his research may have taken him. She then spotted a map with points of reference on them. “These where you’re finding  all similar attacks to be?”

“Yes,” King nodded stepping up beside her as Blú walked across the room to curl up in a dog bed under  a window. “I can’t seem to find a true pattern.” King tapped the map leaning just up against Ava to reach it. “There’s a disembowelment and blood draining here, but a string of people acting paranoid and killing each other here.” King then tapped a few other places. “Here there are body mutilations with specific organs gone, blood drained and a few family relics missing.” 

Ava paused , leaning closer to the map herself trying to find a pattern or something that might give a clue as to what they were after. It didn’t make any sense, the pattern seemed to be random at this point. 

“Could be w itches, could be something else, but I think we can rule this one out if it was just paranoid people killing each other, probably not the same, ” Ava  then  sighed  and shook her head before running her fingers through her hair . “Is there a location that they seem to frequent most often?”

“Here,” King tapped a spot on the map. “It’s a night club, Wild West. Last couple of nights there’s been a few er public disturbances from what witnesses are saying is a couple, and the next morning there’s always body found disemboweled in an ally nearby where they were fighting.”

“Do we know what items were stolen?” Ava questioned eyes darting between the areas King pointed out as body mutilations. 

“Hearts and Livers here,” King tapped one spot. “Blood here,” King tapped another spot, then tapped one last spot. “Old family heirlooms here, no specific details that I could get my hand on.”

“King, you don’t suppose they’re trying to summon something, do you?” Ava said looking at him after a moment. “I mean all of these items can be used in part for summoning something.”

“It’s possible,” King relented with a nod. “Which would point more toward witches.”

“At this point yeah, I’m gonna agree with you.” Ava nodded herself. “So, looks like we need to hit up the night club tonight?” 

“Well, hope you brought your dancing shoes,” King said with a little laugh. 

Ava laughed a little at this. “Of course,”

“Did I just hear something about Wild West?” Esperanza’s voice cut in and both turned to see her and Sam walking in plates in hand, Emma still just on Sam’s heals. “Oh! Can I go King? Please?”

“No,” King shook his head, stepping away from Ava and the table to take a plate. “For one you’re not old enough-”

“Oh c’mon!” Esperanza complained cutting him off. “You were hitting night clubs before you were sixteen and you know it!”

“This is a hunt, Esperanza, not a pleasure trip.” Kings voice was deep and authoritative at this point. “You are not going.” 

“But Ava-” Esperanza started again but then cut herself off at the look of warning King and Ava gave her. 

“Is a Hunter.” King said voice still leaving no room for argument. “And older, this isn’t open for discussion.”

Esperanza paused, clear upset on her face before she shoved the plate at King and turned to stomp out of the room. Ava sighed , shaking her head and stepping around to take a plate from Sam with a little smile of thanks. 

“You have got to let her grow up sometime King,” Ava said turning back to him. “Or she’s going to run first chance she gets.”

“We’re not discussing this right now,” King’s voice was sharp towards Ava and behind her there was a little growl from Blú who realized King was talking to Ava. “Hush, Blú,”

“Well then,” Ava said leaning back against the large oak table and taking a bite of toast. “How far is this night club from here?” 

“Probably around four hours from here,” King said absently stepping over and sitting down in one of the chairs in the room. 

Ava nodded kicking one of her feet over the other and setting her plate down beside her. “So, you wanna try and catch them tonight or you got another plan?”

“Tonight’ll work,” King answered after a second finishing through a bite of eggs. 

“So, if it’s four hours away, I’m asking that we stay there after we finish the case.” Ava said crossing her arms. “If you don’t mind,”

“That’s probably a good idea,” King nodded looking over at her with a little smile which she returned before the smile slipped away and he turned his attention to Sam. “So, Sam, are you coming with us or, would you prefer to stay here?”

Ava raised an eyebrow in shock at this before looking to Sam. Sam shifted seeming a little uncomfortable under King’s sharp gaze before Emma leaned up against his legs sensing the unease. 

“I would prefer to go with you, if it’s all the same.” Sam said after a second. 

“Never hurts to have another experienced hand,” King smiled a little seeming to realize Sam was slightly uncomfortable. “So, Sam, have you been hunting long?”

“Well, yeah, long as I can remember,” Sam nodded relaxing some at this. 

Ava smiled moving and taking her plate and stepping over for King’s. He handed it over easily still more focused on talking to Sam than Ava. Sam moved taking her spot leaning against the table and Blú popped up moving to follow Ava as she stepped out and turned back down to the kitchen. 

“Essie?” Ava questioned bumping the door open to the kitchen. “Hey Essie, you in here?”

“Out here, Ava.” Esperanza called back.

Ava turned to set the dishes down on the counter opting to clean them later before turning to the screen door and stepping through to the back porch. There she found Esperanza sitting in one of the rockers a very sour look on her face. 

“Hey,” Ava said after a second stepping on out and over to the railing facing Esperanza. “That look is highly unattractive you know,”

Esperanza then punched out a huff of a breath crossing her arms. “When is he going to realize I’m old enough to make my own decisions?”

“On things like this?” Ava tilted her head. “Probably never, but for now your brother is in the right. Just enjoy being young and free while you can,”

“You’re not that much older than me,” Esperanza pointed out and Ava nodded. “You were hunting at my age!”

“Yeah, I was, far before your age unfortunately,” Ava conceded this fact easily. “But I’m not a good role model Essie, you don’t want to be like me.”

Esperanza paused, just looking at Ava for a moment before all the anger finally seemed to leave her. Ava smiled a little noticing this before crossing her arms and relaxing a little more.

“Fine.” Esperanza finally bit out. “I’m still mad at him though,”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Ava said with a little laugh after a second. 

“So, Ava can I ask you something?” Esperanza said after a few moments of silence and a blush stole across her face.  

“Of course,”

“Er, have you known Sam a long time?” Esperanza finally stuttered out.

“Long enough I suppose,” Ava said with a shrug. “Least three years, maybe four by now,” Ava then paused and raised an eyebrow in question. “Why?”

“Er well,” Esperanza paused again. “Is he single?”

Ava laughed a little at this before nodding. “Yes, but leaving in a month for Stanford,”

“He’s getting out of the life?” Esperanza questioned sounding genuinely shocked. 

“Yeah,” 

“ So, he’s like almost normal?” Esperanza slid forward on her chair to lean closer to Ava.

“Meaning?” 

“He’s not jaded, or I dunno er rough around the edges like  _ so _ many Hunters are,” Esperanza explained with a little flourish of her hands. 

“No, he’s not like a lot of other Hunters,” Ava admitted after a second or two. “Actually, he nor his brother are like anyone else I’ve ever met.”

“His brother?” Esperanza questioned excitedly. “There’s two of them?”

“Yeah, Sam and Dean Winchester.” Ava confirmed then raised an eyebrow again when a look of recognition flitted across Esperanza’s face. 

“John Winchester’s boys?” Esperanza almost whispered as though saying the name too loud might summon the man himself. 

“Yes,” Ava confirmed after a second trying to figure out Esperanza’s odd behavior. 

“That man is  _ scary _ ,” Esperanza said with a little shiver. 

“You’ve met him?” Ava didn’t bother hiding her surprise at this. “King let you meet John?”

“Oh no, I voluntarily stay away from him.” Esperanza waved her hands in front of her as though warding something off. “Sometimes he comes to King for help on hunts like a lot of hunters do , but he, there’s something  different  about him that I just can’t handle. Like a sorrow built madness that haunts you even after he leaves. Something  _ terrible _ broke that man, and it hangs to him like a well-worn coat,”

“Yeah,” Ava agreed solemnly after a second thinking, but then shook her head . “But, let’s talk about something else,”

“So, Sam’s brother, Dean?” Esperanza said light coming back into her eyes at the change of subject. “What’s he like?”

“Dean’s well, he’s er,” Ava fumbled a little in her attempt to tell Esperanza about the older of the two Winchester brothers. “He’s a little more rough around the edges than Sam, more of a family man, and loves his car, Baby like a member of it.” Ava snorted out a little laugh at that statement. “He’s a quirky sarcastic asshole with a heart of gold for those who don’t always deserve it,” Ava then paused with a little unconscious smile. “And he has the most beautiful green eyes I’ve ever seen, so vibrant when he’s happy and so soulful when he’s upset…”

“Oh, Ava,” Esperanza’s voice held a quiet reverence to it when she spoke. “That’s the most beautiful thing I have ever heard you say about  _ anyone _ …”

“Er yeah well,” Ava flushed bright red before standing up and looking around seeming to be trying to escape Esperanza’s gaze. “Um well, I’m going to just go do the dishes since you cooked breakfast.”

“Wait Ava!” Esperanza said almost jumping out of the rocker to try and follow Ava inside. 

As soon as Ava opened the screen door to step inside , she wasn’t paying too close attention to what might be on the other side and walked straight into Sam. She fumbled almost falling backward if Sam hadn’t caught her. 

“Hey Essie!” King called through the hallway. “Come help me feed the dogs!” 

Essie, who was half a step behind Ava, paused looking between Sam and Ava before pursing her lips to promise herself she would talk to Ava about it later and turned to follow King’s voice down the hall. 

“Er sorry I walked smack into you Sam,” Ava muttered out and apology taking a step back from him and blowing out a deep breath. She then looked up at him. “So, how much of that did you actually hear?”

Sam paused with a little smile. “Enough to know the answer to the next favor I was going to ask of you,”

“Is it a good answer or a bad one?” Ava questioned curiously crossing her arms over her chest. “A good one I hope,” Sam said with a shrug. “I was going to ask if you could just keep an eye on Dean since I won’t be here to do it anymore. I, er, you’re the only one I trust to take care of him…”

“Of course,” Ava nodded with a little smile after a moment, the flush to her face starting to die down. 

“It’s just,” Sam paused seeming unsure what exactly he was going to say.

“He’ll be alright Sam,” Ava said surely. “As will you. It’s just , maybe there’s two different roads set out for the two of you, and you need to follow yours and Dean will follow his.”

“Just please , promise me you’ll keep him save from Dad,” Sam said quietly and Ava barely heard it. “You’ve, you know what,”

“Sam, I  _ promise _ Dean will be alright,” Ava promised confidently. 

“Okay,” Sam nodded after a moment seeming to take her at her words. “Can I ask one more thing?”

“Sure,” Ava shrugged before turning to the sink to do the dishes she had come in to do. 

“Did you mean what you said about Dean out there?” 

There was a loud crash as Ava dropped a dish into the sink caught off guard by the question then followed by a sharp curse. She turned grabbing a paper towel and shoved it against the palm of her hand to  stop the bleeding from a cut she’d gotten from a piece of broken glass. 

“Are you okay?” Sam questioned concerned when he saw her push the paper towel against her hand. 

“Yeah,” Ava muttered before turning back around to face Sam. “I’m fine, just a little cut it’ll stop bleeding here in a minute.” She then leaned back against the counter still facing Sam before she spoke again: “I er, well, yeah I guess so,”

“ So, this thing with the two of you, it is more than just, er um fuckbuddies, isn’t it?” Sam almost flushed when he ask this. 

“Well, er it’s not exactly even fuckbuddies at this point,  so I well , I dunno,” Ava shrugged her face tinging a little pink now and Sam raised an eyebrow at this information. “Maybe? I mean, I wouldn’t exactly mind more than just,” Ava fumbled again with her words. “But we both know your brother, which leans  more  towards no,”

“You do realize you mean more to him than that, right?” Sam said after a second or two. He then turned to sit down in a chair to finish the conversation instead of standing awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen. 

“Yeah, maybe,” Ava shrugged with a sigh. “I dunno Sam,”

“It’s probably why you two haven’t, er well you know,” Sam motioned vaguely with his hands seeming a little lost for words. “Maybe he meant it to be a little more than a quickie?” 

“Hm, no between interruptions and er some other information I gave him, he’s probably lost interest by now.” Ava admitted after a second then scrunched her brow in question. “Besides how is this not an awkward conversation for you?”

“You have _no_ _clue_ how awkward this is, but on to other points of conversation,” Sam pushed to continue the conversation. “What information did you give him?”

“Well, I’m sorta still a virgin,” Ava admitted and blushed a little at Sam’s raised eyebrow.

“Really?” Sam’s voice was light and curious. “That’s...  admirable in this lifestyle,” 

Ava laughed a little at his choice of words. “ _ Admirable _ as it may be, it’s also a huge deterrent for most men,”

“And you think Dean will be in that group?” Sam questioned again in that light voice. 

“I, I dunno,” Ava said after a second with a sigh. “It’s so  _ weird _ for me to be having this conversation out loud…”

“Not any less weird from where I’m sitting,” Sam reminded her after a second. “But all the same, just give Dean the benefit of the doubt, I think you mean more than a one night stand  to him,” 

“Maybe so,” Ava admitted after a second. She then pulled the paper towel away from her hand to look and see if it had stopped bleeding. “Either way, let’s talk about something a little more comfortable for the both of us,”

“Agreed,” Sam nodded leaning back in his chair stretching his feet out. “ So, this hunt, what are you and King thinking it is?”

Ava smiled at this absently turning back to the dishes and answering Sam over her shoulder thankful for the change of subject for now. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please Read and Review!


End file.
